Dragonball Awakening (OLD)
by EmeraldSaiyan
Summary: The death of a parent can be hard to swallow, even for the strongest boy in the world. A coming of age story like no other. AU (Full summary inside)
1. Prologue

_**Thank you for taking the time to read my story; I urge you to read my profile to offer come insight on why and how I chose to write this the way I have.**_

 _ **Full Summary:** The death of a parent can be hard, even for the strongest boy in the world. Four years after the Cell Games, and fifteen year old Son Gohan's story really begins. Followed headlong into his mid-teens by his best friend Lime Lao, the young saiyan juggles school, his appearance's as The Gold Fighter, and being suffocated by the rest of the Z-Fighter's whilst attempting to have a normal social life. All seems easy enough were it not for that troublesome Videl Satan, along with a shocking discovery that even a boy genius like Gohan had not foreseen. If that wasn't all he needed, a threat is headed towards Earth, with intent of awakening an ancient evil. The fight for the universe is suddenly at hand, and Gohan must make the choice to fight again. But be warned young halfling, things may not quite appear as what they seem. (AU)_

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _I do not own any aspect of the Dragonball franchise. I do however, own the creation of my OC Son Gokuto._

 **Prologue**

 **Thousands of Years Before Age, The Sacred Realm of the Kai's**

The realm of the Otherworld was an unfathomable concept for any mere mortal yet to pass over to it's dimension. Though many stories and ideals were shared across time and throughout generations; their ideas of heaven, hell and purgatory, gods, angels and demons were a far cry from the reality that actually was. Far from the reaches of space and time, it was a dimension of its own uniqueness and vastness. For many souls awaiting their judgement, it was purely a sight to behold.

Some, more lucky entities, that had achieved true greatness in their lives; whether it be protecting a planet, fighting fierce battles or devoting their lives to the care of others, would be able to keep their bodies after death. These souls would go on to train with other warriors of their likeness for the remainder of their afterlife, on a planet high above the treacherous Snake Way; one of the greatest honours that King Yemma could bestow.

Yet true judgement could not only lie with King Yemma; the red skinned deity's duties could only stretch as far as heaven and hell, his decision clear, precise and final at the time of a soul's ruling. Complex matters; such as maintaining a balance between good and evil, between light and darkness and more importantly, destruction and creation were left to beings of a superior calibre.

To some, the legends of Gods such as these were just that; a legend, knowledge of celestial entity's stretching only as far as the Grand Kai himself. However, as the line at the check in station grew longer and the deceased warriors trained above the clouds; the last remaining God of Creation appeared in front of an ancient temple, deep within the depths of a most sacred realm.

He gasped, his legs beginning to buckle under his own weight. He had light purple skin that was bruised and bloodied; his ceremonial garb torn and burnt in places. His white mohawk was flecked with blood; beetle black eyes shining with tears that he had yet to let fall.

There was a stillness in the air, accompanied by the usual peacefulness of the planet that was surrounded by lush green fields and sparkling springs of water. The violet sky above was patterned by numerous moons, its atmosphere still and warming; having no notion of day or night. The temple itself sat atop of a twisting cliff face, with stone flagged steps embedded into the rock; leading up to the gleaming white structure.

The lonely Kai swayed on the spot before stumbling towards the temple entrance. He threw open the large mahogany door with the last of his strength; a loud clang resounding around the stone walls of the temple. A long wooden table stood at its centre, along with eight chairs surrounding it. Parchment, books and strange looking artefacts strewn around them carelessly, as if someone had gotten them out in a hurry. Scrolls; inscribed with ancient languages, sat atop the empty chairs that would otherwise be filled were it not for the unfortunate events that had so recently transpired.

Grunting in pain, the purple skinned deity collapsed into a chair closest to the head of the table; where a pair of golden tipping scales sat, clinking and whirring as it tilted heavily to the left. The Kai sighed hopelessly, his ragged breathing reverberating off the temple walls as he pulled a scroll hastily from beneath him; giving it a reproachful look before throwing it on the ground.

"Superb job you did there Supreme Kai, really top notch," a sarcastic voice cut through the air.

The Supreme Kai jumped a mile, his chair tipping violently backwards as he looked with horror towards his three unwanted visitors.

The deity that had spoken stood in the centre of his peers, his midnight blue eyes fixated on the quivering Kai. He wore long robes of black and teal over his lean frame. His ears were large and pointed at the tip, as were his sharp fangs that protruded from his lips in an intimidating fashion. His hair was the deepest of black, and reached his waist in elegant waves.

The other God, had skin the colour of the whitest of snow; obsidian eyes and short blue hair. His traditional garb hung around his waist, leaving his muscled torso bare. He did not make a sound, merely stared at the Kai with a stoic expression.

"Rumley that is no way to speak to the Grand Supreme now," the tallest of the trio said smoothly. He had flawless teal skin and, like the Kai, sported white hair atop his head, though his was curled elegantly into a tip at the front. Long, black and maroon robes adorned his frame and he held a tall sceptre in his right hand; along with a blue ring that hung around his neck. His thin lips drew into a small smile as he addressed the young Kai.

"Please Whis," the Kai said groggily, "It's just Supreme. I am not worthy of my elder's title."

"Well at least he's not completely stupid," scoffed Rumley, yet was ignored by his fellow God's.

The air was thick with tension, and seemed to penetrate through the stillness inside the temple. Suddenly, a sharp bang echoed through the temple hall; along with a quick scurry of feet. Another flung himself through the doors; he had long white hair and his traditional dress was just as ripped and bloodied as the Kai. He gasped, his beetle black eyes settling on his superior before he skidded to his knees in front of him.

"M-master!" he cried desperately, tears in his eyes, "It is done. I've done it, the monster is hidden; now please, let me heal you, let me-!"

"Kibito," Supreme Kai mustered calmly, stopping his assistants healing hands, "Where did you hide it?"

"A small planet," Kibito breathed, "Still in it's infancy; in the Northern Quadrant."

"Ah, excellent," Whis chirped, causing Kibito to jolt in surprise. It seemed he had only just noticed the presence of the Destruction God's. "Buu is sealed."

"Let's hope its for good this time," Rumley said through gritted teeth, "I wouldn't want to be brought out of my own hibernation for this again."

The white skinned male grunted, "Hard to believe he was once one of us."

"Yes Synt; the very first in fact," Whis said thoughtfully, "Still, it is curious how a wizard like Bibidi was able to not only awaken him, but control him. Majin magic certainly is powerful."

"Indeed," observed Synt, "But that does pose the question of the wizard's son…"

"Babidi is not as powerful as his father," the Kai said boldly, "He has not the means or the knowledge of how to release Buu from his prison."

"Oh? And you're quite sure of that are you _East_ Kai?" Rumley seethed, "How can we trust your judgement when the Southern Quadrant is in ruins?!"

"You were lucky that Whis' student destroyed your S _uper_ Saiyan before he took the entire universe with him!" Synt growled, "The creation of your so called 'warrior' race was not authorised!"

"B-But I had no choice!" The Kai exclaimed desperately.

"Master, your injuries!" Kibito cried, yet his superior ignored him.

"Buu, or rather; Majin Buu was on a complete rampage! The likes of which you nor I have ever seen!" The purple skinned deity puffed, "Creating the Saiyan's was my last hope to take Buu down once and for all!"

"Before you realised what you had done and woke us up to clear your up your mess!" Rumley seethed, "I've never see the Southern Quadrant in such a dire state! Super Saiyan indeed!"

The Kai said nothing; instead, allowed his assistant to push him back into his seat. A soft yellow glow erupted from the red-skinned deity's palms, the Kai's wounds gradually beginning to disappear.

Whis coughed politely, turning to his fellow God's, "Come now, it was commendable that the Saiyan was able to achieve such a form. He did kill the wizard and disable Buu so much so that he was able to be sealed in a prison."

The pair grumbled, averting their eyes away from the blue-skinned deity.

"Besides," Whis continued, his thin lips twitching, "This argument is pointless when there are more pressing matters to address. Buu has been defeated, the Super Saiyan destroyed and Bibidi is no more; and yet… the scales are still unbalanced."

They froze; Rumley and Synt stared at Whis, their eyes flickering between him and the whirring scales on the table. Then, in a flash; Rumley launched himself at Whis, and with a battle cry that shook the temple, so did Synt.

But Whis was prepared; he span on his heel in one swift movement, allowing Synt to pass under his arm before he brought his elbow down in one heavy blow. With a sickening crack, Synt's spine snapped from the impact and he slumped to the floor in a heap.

Rumley howled in desperation, swinging his fists towards the God in rapid succession. Whis ducked and swooped out of harms way. Rumley attacked again, baring his fanged teeth before he suddenly stopped. Large eyes widening, he choked; blood expelled from his mouth caused by the end of Whis' sceptre piercing straight through his abdomen.

With a cool expression, Whis allowed the deity to slip to the ground before pulling out his sceptre in one fluid movement and wiped the pole clean on his garb. "Ah, thats better," he quirked, admiring the scales that slowly tipped to balance.

The Supreme Kai could hardly believe his eyes, "W-Whis! What did you-?!"

"They would have only have done the same to me," Whis stated calmly, "And I cannot just abandon Lord Beerus when he is still in training. Would be rather rude of me, wouldn't you say?."

Kibito shuddered, as blood seeped onto the tiled floor and pooled underneath his feet.

"A-and where is Lord Beerus if you don't mind mine asking?" The Kai asked wearily, the thought just coming to mind, "I haven't seen him since he left the battle."

"Sleeping," Whis informed with a smile, "I wouldn't want to wake him up until he's calmed down. I must say he was frightfully agitated that he had to destroy the Super Saiyan outright. So blinded by his anger, the saiyan I mean, and that _power_! Extraordinary, and yet such a waste!"

Supreme Kai dipped his head, "I-I didn't think what could happen. He drew on everything around him to transform; I could never have _predicted_ that he obtained Bibidi's-!"

"All in the past, good Kai," Whis interrupted calmly, holding a hand up to silence him, "All in the past. But I _must_ ask, what is the future of your Saiyan's? Can you be sure that another transformation like this does not occur?"

"The power of the super saiyan comes in response to a need, not a desire," he breathed, "If there comes a need for a super saiyan again, than one will appear; though I doubt anywhere near as strong as-"

"Well that certainly makes life interesting," Whis chuckled, "To think they may even be able to rival the Icen race with their potential."

The Supreme Kai and Kibito didn't laugh, but their gaze hardened.

"Don't worry yourself so Supreme Kai," said Whis, catching onto their gloomy expressions, "His race lives on, which is what you wanted isn't it?"

The Kai nodded, "I couldn't have had them destroyed too. I owe it to them."

"The only solace you've gained it seems," the destroyer God said smoothly.

The Kai sighed averting his eyes to the floor; "I just can't believe he's gone."

"A great warrior, but a necessity we needed to take none the less," Whis agreed stiffly, "An awesome power like that could not be contained in such a form, though I'm sure his soul will not be wasted."

Supreme Kai gave him a quizzical stare, yet Whis swiftly continued; "So I presume you will take on the responsibilities of your fallen comrades?"

The Kai nodded, "I-I know I am young and inexperienced, but after Buu slaughtered them, I owe it to them all. I must see to it that the universe runs as they would have wanted it."

Whis chortled, "There will come a time where I will step down and become a mere assistant to Lord Beerus. My successor may have a bit of a temper but he still has a lot to learn; but none the less, mistakes are there to be made. The young must replace the old as it were."

The creation God said nothing, signalling to Whis that it was time to take his leave.

"Excellent," Whis smiled pleasantly, "On that note, I'll leave you and your assistant Kibito here to it. It looks like you've got your work cut out for you."

Leaving the Kai and Kibito behind with pained expressions; the destroyer span happily on his heel and made his way to the temple doors, stepping brightly over the fallen bodies of his kin. Stopping suddenly, a thought just occurring, the deity looked back with a curious expression, "A question Kibito; the planet where Buu is hidden, what was it's name?"

"Oh," The assistant jumped, looking rather embarrassed that he had not mentioned it before, "Earth, my Lord Whis; it's name is Earth."

"Lovely," Whis smiled, "Now, if you'll excuse me there is a delectable looking dish on planet Zorn that I've had my eye on since the beginning of the battle!"

"Er… Whis?" Supreme Kai called, wincing slightly and stopping the deity in his tracks, "I'm afraid that the Super Saiyan destroyed that planet when he transformed into a golden…great ape…Sir."

"Ah," said Whis with disappointment, "Fiddlesticks."


	2. The World's Saviour

**Chapter One**

 **The World** **'** **s Saviour**

 **Planet Earth, Age 771**

Earth. A seemingly peaceful little planet that sat in the small galaxy known as the Milky Way. Over the years it had come to be known as the gem of the Northern Quadrant, with vast landscapes and a healthy supply of oil, food and other resources needed to sustain life.

However, the little blue planet had attracted its own amount of trouble in more recent decades, the inhabitants more often than not oblivious to the danger it had been in; thanks to the unofficial protectors of Earth. But the reality was that Earth was enjoying a rare period of peace, after being terrorised by an evil artificially created android known as Cell.

Earthling's were an odd race, and clung to hope and glory for dear life as soon as it presented itself. So when it was announced that the world champion, Hercule Satan had destroyed the fearsome bio-andriod with one punch; well, they believed every word.

Of course, there were conspiracy theories of how the Cell Games really concluded; but they were shot down as soon as they presented. How dare they slander Mister Satan's name? How dare they suggest that Cell still lived? They slept soundly in their beds at night, willing the world to be safe again, wanting their children to play out in the street without any threat. So they hung on to every sentence that escaped Mister Satan's mouth.

Four years on from the devastating battle that quite literally shook the planet, and the Earthling's continued to celebrate. There would be a parade held in the newly renamed Satan City every year on the anniversary of Mister Satan's victory, that was televised across the nation for all to see; children would perform plays at school and bonfires and firework displays were held in parks around the globe. Families would tune in to watch their saviour make his annual speech; and celebrations would take place in every household.

The streets were full of life in East City just as much as the rest of the world. A small metropolis, nestled between the steep Eastern mountains and the harsh frost filled planes of the North; East City was home to just two hundred thousand people, which is almost a laughable size when compared to the three million of West City.

Yet the hustle and bustle of inhabitants grabbing last minute party supplies was still a sight to behold as their hurried footsteps intermingled with those who sat chatting outside bars and restaurants. It could be argued that the people of East City were just as raucous and lively as any other town.

Laughter and happy cheers echoed through the city streets, streamers and fallen decorations littered the paths that lead up to the main shopping district. Empty paper cups were kicked to the wayside as a group of burly martial arts fans trudged through the town, their arms slung around each other as they loudly sang a familiar chant, cans of frothy larger in hand.

Several passers by heckled and laughed at the men, their drunken cheer infectious. So immersed in their celebrations were these city folk, that none of them noticed a figure sat a top a nearby sky scraper. If they were to look above, they would see all but a dark silhouette against the steadily darkening amber sky; but perhaps dismiss it as a rather large bird.

Despite this perception; the figure in question was actually that of a teenage boy, who had been basking lazily in the summer sunshine all afternoon. He had masses of long golden hair that was tied into a low ponytail, cascading down to his mid back in an unruly fashion. He was fairly well built for a boy who had just entered his fifteenth year; the tight black body suit he was wearing didn't leave much to the imagination.

A midnight blue armoured chest plate covered his broad torso, with golden piping running over the edges of the bodice. Black gloves covered his calloused hands, along with chunky black boots to match them.

He leaned casually up the water tower at the edge of the building, his legs swinging back and forth as he ran a hand through the long spikes of mane that seemed to defy gravity at the front of his head. Sharp green eyes scanned the ground below once more before he let out a deep sigh, taking a long drag of the cigarette that was nestled between his fingers on his right hand.

Resting his head against the water tower, Son Gohan closed his eyes; allowing a cool breeze to wash over his handsome features. The sound of the celebrating civilians below wasn't enough to break him out of his relaxation; yet the sudden beeping transmitting from the watch on his wrist caused him to sit up right in attention.

"… _Requesting back up.. crrrck, I repeat, crrrrck; all available units to the corner of Orin Avenue and Bamboo Street. Crrrck we are in pursuit of armed_ _…"_

"Finally," Gohan grumbled, rolling his eyes and cutting the transmission off as soon as the sound of police sirens filled the air.

The young saiyan got to his feet, taking another puff of his cigarette before flicking the stub off the edge of the building. Pressing a button on the top of his ear piece, his bright eyes grew fierce before they were shielded by a visor that materialised across the bridge of his nose and forehead, allowing his golden hair to blow freely in the breeze.

The screech of tires upon tarmac made him turn his head to the street below, as a yellow convertible flew around the corner of Orin Avenue; causing several terrified on lookers to dart out of it's path of destruction. Loud, obnoxious rap music blasted from its speakers, accompanied by the raucous laughter of two young men as they hurtled down the street.

The police in pursuit of the vehicle struggled to fit through the crowded area, narrowly missing a few pedestrians and market stalls as they quickly fell behind. The criminals cheered, as a police car crashed unceremoniously into a telephone box, blocking off the remainder of its back up.

"Yeahhh!" The auburn haired man on the passenger side yelled, brandishing his gun in the air, "Take tha' you filthy coppers!"

"Got wha' they deserved those pigs," sneered the driver, "Now we can deliver this money t' Mr Borbonne; he'll be righ' pleased wit' us he will Alf."

"You fink he'll give us more than five percent this time Reg?" Alf grinned toothily, his aviator's glinting in the sunset.

"Don't be so 'asty Alfie lad," said Reg, his bushy moustache twitching, "Mister Borbonne's a dangerous man, yeh wouldn't want t' end up like little Frankie Foul Mouth now would yeh?"

Alf's eyes widened, "Wa' 'append t' little Frankie Foul Mouth?"

Reg snorted, his hands gripping the wheel a little tighter, "'is mouth got a little too foul for Mister Borbonne's liking when 'e didn't get the price 'e wanted. Next thing yeh know 'e aint talking no more."

"He aint?" Alf asked carefully.

Reg shrugged, "Well it's a bit 'ard t' talk when you 'ave yeh tongue cut out wiv' a pair o' pliers. T' be quite honest wiv' you Alf I'm surprised Borbonne didn't shove it up his own -"

 **CRUNCH.**

The sound of a boot upon bonnet was enough to jolt the pair of gangsters out of their conversation; that, and the realisation that they were no longer moving. Slowly, their eyes widened; as a golden haired teenager stood at the front of the car, his boot resting upon the bumper.

"N-no bloody way," Reg whispered, the sound of sirens whirring in the background; a number of onlookers gawking at the scene in the middle of the road.

"I-It's 'im Reg! It's 'im! That Gold Fighter kid!" Alf cried, gripping his gun tightly.

The Gold Fighter sighed begrudgingly, but didn't move his foot that was currently embedded into the bonnet; "I'm going to have to ask you to put down your weapons, and hand over the money."

The two men blinked, before Reg let out a low growl, "Little gobshite, who does 'e think 'e is? Barking out orders!"

"I'll get 'im, tha' little bugger will regret 'e met us!" said Alf, adjusting the barrel of his handgun and firing manically over the stop of the windscreen.

The crowd surrounding them began to scream as the sound of gunshots ricochet over the street. Yet Alf's triumphant grin faltered, as the golden haired teenager still stood; outstretching his palm and allowing the crushed bullets to fall onto the bonnet with a loud clatter.

"So it's true…h-he really is bulletproof," Reg whispered, before he was shook out of his stupor by his partner.

"Run 'im over Reg!" Alf cried, dropping his gun uselessly into the footwell as he began to shake, "Step on it!"

Reg wasted no time in complying, and with an almighty bellow he stepped hard on the accelerator; the engine roared and the tires screeched, sending exhaust fumes into the air, but the convertible did not budge.

Gohan snorted, as the two men struggled to escape, "Seriously?" he quirked, yet was met with another rumble from the engine. The young saiyan sighed, shrugging his shoulders before plunging his fist into the bonnet and ripping the engine clean out from where it was connected.

The car shuddered and jolted to a stop, as Gohan dangled the engine above his head with a smirk; oil dripping slowly onto the road.

The pair of goons gasped, before Gohan nudged his boot with the bumper; causing the car to tilt and the criminals to flip out onto the pavement behind him.

"Oof!" "Ouch!" They cried, as they landed with a dull thud. The teenager turned, tossing the car engine effortlessly over his shoulder and folding his arms across his chest in a somewhat bored manner.

"Now, are you going to give up? Or do you need some more convincing?" he asked, eyeing the quivering pair, "Because to be honest, I've got some other stuff I'd rather be doing."

"You nonce!" Reg breathed, shakily helping his comrade to his feet, "Do you 'ave any idea what Mr Borbonne will do if 'e doesn't get 'is money?!"

"Don't know, don't care," Gohan replied.

"You don't understand who yeh messin' wiv' kid," Alf growled, cracking his knuckles.

The young saiyan sighed as the men approached, ready to pounce any second-

 **Bleep Bleep.**

Gohan frowned, as his ear piece began to ring; a familiar number flashing across his visor.

 **Bleep Bleep.**

"C'mere you little bleeder," Reg glowered, steadily getting closer to him, "We'll teach yeh just what happen's when you mess wiv' the Borbonne Family-"

 **Bleep Bleep.**

The gangster was cut off, when the teen held out a hand, gesturing for him to stop. Reg and Alf shared a befuddled look as Gohan turned his back on the pair and pressed the answer button on his ear piece.

"Hello?"

"SON GOHAN!"

The teenager winced, as the irate screech of his mother feedback over the speaker; causing his head to spin, "Oh mother f-!" he almost swore in distain, causing the woman to yell even louder.

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

"Nothing, nothing," he answered cautiously, gritting his teeth in pain, "What's up?"

"What's up?!" Chi-Chi cried, breathing loudly down his ear, "I'll tell you 'what's up' young man, you're _late_! Or did you forget that we had a reunion at Bulma's today, like we do on the _same day_ every year?"

Gohan couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Sorry Mum, I just lost track of time," he replied, sensing the pair of goons attempting to sneak up behind him.

The Ox-princess tutted, "Well you'd better get here right now before your food gets cold, not to mention you have homework that you've been putting off all weekend doing who knows what with who knows who-"

"Yeah don't worry Mum I'll get right on it," he said on autopilot, delivering a spinning kick to Reg's temple as he made a grab for him; knocking the man out on impact.

"Reg no!" Alf cried, before his eyes rolled back in his head as soon as Gohan struck him in the back of the neck, crumpling to the floor in a heap.

"What was that noise? Are you with somebody?" his mother flapped, as several people started to crowd around him.

"Ah just some drunkard I just passed on the way back from the library, I'm on my way now," he shrugged, dragging Alf's unconscious form over to his comrade's.

"Oh the library?" Chi-Chi cooed as a police car halted by the side of him.

"Yeah, I was just getting some extra materials for my schoolwork," he lied, giving Alf a little extra nudge with his toe.

"Well," his mother sighed, calming down considerably, "Just make sure you hurry up sweetie, and fly home safely!"

"On my way!" he called, before pressing the button on his earpiece and ending the call.

"Oi you!" an officer cried, clambering out of the car along with several other's; their eyes widening at the sight of the crumpled forms of the gangster's. "Stop where you are!"

"Sorry I can't stay and chat gents, must dash," Gohan grinned wickedly, his golden aura building up around him and pushing them back several feet; "But in answer your impending questions, the Mayor's money's in the boot and these berks will wake up in a couple of hours."

The officers gaped, as the teenager gave them a mocking salute, "Always a pleasure!"

Before anyone them had time to reply, Gohan shot into the sky; a sonic boom echoing above the clouds as he blasted towards West City, leaving behind a golden streak of energy and a flabbergasted audience.

He made it to Capsule Corporation in just under twenty minutes, the large yellow domed structure stood proudly against the backdrop of the sunset; surrounded by magnificent gardens that were big enough to shelter the Briefs family from the busy roads outside.

He landed in his usual spot at the back of the building, so as to not draw too much attention to himself. As soon as his boots touched the soft blades of grass; he closed his eyes, allowing his muscles to relax as he dropped out of his transformation, his golden hair returning to its usual ebony.

He opened his eyelids, displaying deep onyx iris' that darted around him before he pressed a small button on his wrist watch; tight grey skinny jeans that were purposely ripped at the knees took his body suit's place, along with a pair of chunky biker boots and a tight black t-shirt, displaying a long jagged scar that ran from shoulder tip to wrist on his left arm.

Gohan frowned; sensing that the party was going on indoors rather than outside, despite the heat of the evening. Shrugging to himself, the young saiyan trudged down the pathway leading to a set of stained glass patio doors; lined with rows and rows of Mrs Briefs' colourful tulips.

His fingers had barely brushed the handle of the door, when it was forcibly swung open; and the teenager was knocked to the ground by what appeared to be a black and purple whirlwind. Gohan landed on his backside with a dull thud, suddenly aware of the two gremlins attached to his chest.

"What the-?" he started, wincing as the two little saiyan's started to squawk loudly in his ears, bouncing up and down on his stomach excitedly. Although Gohan was used to Goten and Trunks pouncing on him, they rarely did so with so much enthusiasm.

"Big bwother tha' was so cool!" Exclaimed Goten, bright obsidian eyes; so much like their father's, shining up at him.

In fact, the three and a half year old was all too reminiscent of the deceased warrior. Ever since he was born, Goten bore the same untameable spikes as Goku, that seemed to defy gravity as they sat messily atop his head. He had the same short nose and rounded cheeks; his cheeky smile was positively infectious as well as his carefree nature.

When his mother first announced her pregnancy shortly after the conclusion of the Cell Games, Gohan could have sworn that it the God's that were punishing him; bringing a child into the world that would never know the father that he unwillingly sent to the grave. The young boy's guilt only multiplied when his little brother was born, his friends proclaiming tearfully just how much Goten looked like Goku. But as Goten grew, his laughter filled the empty, saddened hallways of Gohan's home; and he soon saw the boy as a blessing, rather than something to remind him of his failings.

It was only natural that Goten found friendship in Trunks; the two boys were inseparable. If one had left the room the other would not be far behind. Although Trunks would usually be the one leading an excursion; the purple haired four year old was a far cry from the Trunks that Gohan had come to know; the one from an apocalyptic future.

The teen concluded that it was Vegeta's influence that had sealed the young prince's fate. Trunks of the present day was sarcastic and bossy, traits that were indeed absent from his future counterpart. The boy's father practically threw him into the gravity room as soon as he could walk; something that surprised Gohan, as Vegeta notoriously trained alone. His future son's death at the Cell Games must have hit Vegeta harder than he previously thought, and it was obvious from Trunks' adoration of the man just how much time they spent together.

Still, despite the prince's questionable parenting skills; Trunks beheld all the childhood innocence that Goten had, and looked towards Gohan as a big brother all the same. The teenager loved them both dearly, he really did; just not when they were offending his ear drums with their excitable sequels.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you two?!" Gohan bellowed angrily, as the duo continued in their exhaustive chatter.

At his words the children ceased, but seemed oblivious to his harsh tone as they positively beamed back at him; still sat on his chest.

"We want to be superhero's like you Gohan!" Trunks exclaimed breathlessly, whilst Goten nodded eagerly beside him.

"Yeah!" Goten cried, crawling closer to his face so that their noses were almost touching, "We could be your side cars!"

"It's side _kick_ Goten," Trunks drawled, rolling his eyes at the younger boy, "You're so stupid sometimes."

"No I'm not!" fumed Goten, sizing up to his friend, "It was my idea to be a side-thingy!"

"Yeah! Well…" the older boy stalled, thinking for a moment, "It was my idea to ask Gohan, so there!"

"He's _my_ bwother!" yelled Goten, "So there!"

"Stop it, the pair of you!" Gohan roared, pinching the bridge of his nose out of frustration. The little half saiyan's turned towards him, looking puzzled at his outburst. Composing himself, the teenager tried again, "Now, what are you talking about?"

"We want to be your side-!" Goten struggled enthusiastically, "erm…"

"Kick's…" helped Trunks.

"Kick's!" The younger boy finished happily, "and help you fight all the baddies big bwother!"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Trunks, pumping his small fist in the air, "The three of us will be unstoppable! No one will dare mess with our cities!"

"We saw everything!" joined Goten, "You stopped the bad man's car and beats them up and saved the day!"

Trunks nodded in approval, "It was bloody brilliant!"

Gohan frowned, a sense of dread coming over him as he chose to ignore the young boy's use of language. "Hang on, you said you saw me stop those men today; how did you-?"

"SON GOHAN!"

All three halfling's winced, as Chi-Chi's irate shriek rattled the window panes of Capsule Corp.

"Sounds like Mummy's mad at you again Gohan," whispered Goten, causing the teenager to glare at him.

"You think?" Gohan muttered, clambering to his feet and brushing the two youngsters off him.

"Come on Goten," said Trunks, ushering the younger saiyan away from the teenager, "Lets go, I don't want to be caught in the middle of another one of your Mum and brother's rows again."

Goten gasped, before hurrying after his friend, "Last time was really scarwy! I thought steam was gonna come out of Mummy's ears 'cause her face got all red!"

"You know that's not really a thing right?" Trunks snorted as they rounded the corner.

"But you said-!"

"It was a _joke_ Goten…"

Gohan shook his head as their voices disappeared. "Thanks for the support guys," he muttered to himself, although he was unsure just what support a couple of toddlers could offer when his mother was on a rampage.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, did the woman herself appear in the doorway. Now, Chi-Chi was not a tall woman; in fact, due to his recent growth spurt, Gohan now reached a couple of inches above her head. Yet the petite mother of two had an overbearing presence, that could make even the strongest of warriors quiver in their training boots. Gohan simply had to remind himself of his parents relationship as a child to prove that fact.

The teenager averted his gaze to his boots as his mother's fierce onyx eyes narrowed in his direction. Her dark hair was pulled tightly into an elegant bun atop her head, drawing more attention to her stern features. Chi-Chi's hands were placed on her hips in an annoyed manner; her yellow and purple garb flapped in a breeze that suddenly swept over the gardens.

Gohan knew from her silence that she was scrutinising the appearance of her eldest son; she always made a point of doing so whenever she clapped eyes on him. Her gaze would narrow and her lips would purse together in a disapproval; the only accompaniment to the uncomfortable silence would be a gentle tapping of her boot upon the tiles.

The young saiyan looked up, failing to hide his amusement as once again the light tapping sound reached his ears.

"And just what are you smirking at young man?" Chi-Chi called, her boot coming to an abrupt halt.

Gohan's lips quickly drew into a thin line; realising he had been caught.

"Inside," his mother stated, stepping aside to allow him entrance, " _now_."

He obeyed without a word, brushing past her as he swiftly entered the hallway. Capsule Corporation was still by far the largest building Gohan had ever set foot in; and although he had come to know it as a sort of second home in recent years, he didn't think he would ever get over its grandeur. He was positive there were parts of the complex he still had yet to explore.

Chi-Chi's footsteps thudded heavily on the pristine carpeted floors behind him, as he instinctively made his way through to the Briefs' main living space at the front of the building; her gaze burning holes in the back of his head.

Sure enough, when Gohan kicked the door open with the toe of his boot; he was greeted with the majority of the Z gang, who were sat around the large flat screen television. The living room was incredibly spacious, and could probably fit three of Gohan's sitting rooms; plush white leather sofa's surrounded a shaggy rug and log fireplace. Some extra furniture had been added to accommodate for the gathering, most of which were covered with sweet treats and bottles of alcohol for the adults; a few toys lay abandoned on the floor from where Goten and Trunks had rushed out to tackle him.

Gohan frowned when no one turned around to greet him; his friend's eyes glued to the news report on television. The teenager huffed, and was about to announce his presence when the reporter on screen cut him off.

"… _That_ _'_ _s right Jeremy, The Gold Fighter was seen here only moments ago in East City,_ " a well suited man spoke from behind a news desk. _"_ _There are reports that he infiltrated a police car chase, causing several thousand Zeni worth of damage to the main dual carriage way in the process. Police were able to make an arrest to the suspects after the incident we are about to see, yet the Gold Fighter was able to escape yet again without questioning. The images I am about to show you have been sent in by spectators who were able to capture the scene on their mobile devices; they may be quite disturbing for some audiences_ _…"_

The broadcast cut to a rather shaky picture of a city street; before the camera was able to focus in on the centre of the road.

Gohan cringed, when the camera captured the image of him in super saiyan form; ripping out the criminal's car engine and tossing it over his shoulder before it crashed into the pavement. Broken bits of cement and debris rained upon the frightened crowd, their shouts muffled as the cameraman dodged out of the way; dropping the mobile phone in the process and causing the picture to dramatically cut out.

"Well Gohan," his mother barked, moving in front of him and blocking his view, "You _said_ you were at the library. Does this recklessness look like homework to you? Just what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I uh…" he began hesitantly; yet Chi-Chi's outburst had drawn the attention of the other occupants of the room.

"Ah there's our little superhero!" Krillin called from the sofa, only just acknowledging his presence.

Gohan resisted the urge to glare at him as light chuckles filled the room. Krillin was offering him a wicked smile, lounging next to his wife with a beer in hand. His father's best friend was always one to initiate teasing, especially since Gohan had entered his teenage years; the young saiyan simply refused to be around the man when his voice started had started to break. He should have known that puberty was never going to be easy with the Z-Fighter's around; at least he could stick up for Goten when the time came.

"Hullo Krillin," he replied dryly, attempting to draw his mother's attention away from him.

He was rewarded with a cheeky wink as Krillin raised his beer to his lips and took a huge swig. The short martial artist was always the joking sort; Gohan had initially thought his hairstyle was a joke when he turned up at the last reunion with a full head of black hair. Krillin had never quite forgiven the teenager for laughing as hard as he did.

Apparently women liked long hair according to Krillin, and it must have helped seen as the man successfully sealed Android Eighteen as his bride two years ago; and now had a one year old baby girl named Marron. Marron was a beautiful girl, with her father's dark eyes and her mother's straight blonde hair.

Currently, the babe was being bounced on her mother's knee; which would have been a strange notion to even contemplate several years ago. But it seemed that Android Eighteen; or just Eighteen as she preferred to be known, settled into their odd group just as comfortably as any evil doer turned good before her.

In truth, Gohan was quite find of the woman; even though she didn't say much. It was rather strange when she had turned up at the first anniversary get together of the Cell Games as Krillin's plus one, and had spent the majority of the time in a corner on her own. At the time, Gohan hadn't really felt like talking to anyone either; and was surprised when Eighteen followed him outside as he attempted to escape the festivities.

They sat for a while in silence, until Eighteen turned to him and muttered a soft 'thank you'. The twelve year old was about to ask what for, when she simply kissed him on the cheek and walked back into the compound; leaving a very red faced Gohan behind her. Of course, he realised what she meant after a moments thought; he did effectively save her from the belly of the beast as it were.

It was crazy to think how much the Z-Fighter's lives had changed in the years following the hardest battle they had ever faced. As well as Krillin finding a wife and having a child, Yamcha's baseball career had taken a huge leap as well as his bachelor status, and he and Puar had taken time out of touring with the Titans to be at the reunion. They gave him a cheery wave from the other side of the room where they sat in front of the television.

Even Tien had reunited with an old flame; Launch, who was apparently one of his father's old friends back in the day. Despite her personality disorder that was borderline terrifying, the two had gotten married in a small ceremony in the Northern mountains where Tien and Chaiozu were still continuing their training.

Master Roshi hadn't changed much; and still lived with Oolong and Turtle on his tropical island in the South, with the addition of Krillin and his family of course. They had even took the time to send Gohan a birthday present last week; which was immediately confiscated by his mother. The three were sat at the rounded table at the far corner of the room with Gohan's grandfather; all of them giving him identical wolfish grins.

The young saiyan didn't have time to contemplate where the missing members of the group were, as his mother rounded on him again.

"I've had it up to here Gohan!" she yelled, gesturing to her forehead with her hand, and causing the entire room to wince. "Not only are you five hours late without any _breath_ of an apology, I find out that you've deliberately lied to me! Again!"

"It wasn't a lie!" Gohan reasoned, holding his hands up in defence, "I really _was_ on my way back from the library, I was minding my own business when these thugs came out of nowhere; I had to do something!"

Chi-Chi growled, attempting to restrain her anger, "Be that as it may Gohan, running around playing superhero isn't going to get you into a red brick university now is it?"

"I'm not a superhero!" The teenager protested, ignoring Krillin and Yamcha's snickering, "I'm a vigilante!

His mother looked as though she was about to hit the roof, when his grandfather suddenly stepped in. "Chi-Chi honey, let the boy be for tonight; if Gohan wants to be a superhero then let him be a superhero."

"Grandpa!" Gohan whined childishly, "I _told_ you, I'm not a superhero!"

"Oh okay," Ox smiled, "sorry Gohan, whatever you say."

"Vigilante or not," Chi-Chi interrupted, pointing a accusatory finger towards the television, "It doesn't excuse this reckless behaviour of your's Gohan!"

"Well, I didn't _mean_ to destroy the stupid road…" he muttered, his lips contorting into a pout.

"It's not just the road young man!" his mother continued, the Z-gang's heads flipping back and forth between the two, "You've been completely neglecting your school work!"

"No I haven't!" he retorted, earning himself a threatening glare.

"Don't talk back to your mother Son Gohan!" She fumed, "You've been out every night this week, coming back with excuses of going on walks and seeing your friends at the village! Now, I don't mind you making friends Gohan but this has _got_ to stop."

"But I haven't done anything wrong!" he yelled angrily; ignoring Krillin's cut throat gesture out the corner of his eye.

"Oh?" Chi-Chi said rather smugly, "Then why did I receive a letter this morning informing me you didn't turn up for your detention on Friday?"

"But _Mum_!" Gohan protested, his head already spinning from her incessant ranting, "I only skipped that detention because it was completely ridiculous!"

Chi-Chi folded her arms across her chest, "Your teacher informed me that you didn't take your assignment seriously."

"The assignment was to write an essay about myself!" He argued, "It's not my fault that he's so thick he can't comprehend that there's life on other planets, let alone half-aliens that save his fat arse from people who want to blow up the Earth!"

Judging by the look on his mother's face; he new he was grounded for at least the remainder of his teenage life, especially due to the fact that he deliberately swore in front of her.

Ten minutes of ear shattering scolding later; Gohan found himself banished to the garden with his school satchel; which Chi-Chi had oh so conveniently brought with her. Flicking open his notepad to a blank page, the young saiyan leaned back on the old tree trunk and crossed one leg over the other.

He unconsciously chewed the end of his pencil in annoyance, thinking of a way on how to start such a tedious assignment; especially as he now had to outright lie about the entire thing.

Gohan sighed begrudgingly before setting to work, but only got as far as writing his name at the top of the page when he was alerted by a familiar presence.

Twirling his pencil in between his fingers, Gohan sighed, "Hullo Piccolo."

"Hey kid," came the strong Namekian's reply.

His large silhouette stood against the dusky sky, his long white cape flapping against the quickening summer breeze. From the dim lights escaping the complex, Gohan could just make out his mentor's wry smile. The teen could remember the days when such a gesture would be a rarity even in the most victorious moments of battle. Still, such a smile would still only be for Gohan, occasionally Goten if Piccolo was in a particularly good mood.

Although Gohan loved his mentor, the past few years have seen Piccolo acting as a much more frequent 'shoulder to cry on' than the teenager would have liked. A long time ago, Piccolo wouldn't have tolerated such weak profanities; whereas nowadays it seemed that was all he wanted Gohan to do.

"How's it going?" Piccolo asked in a gruff tone, moving closer to him and leaning with his shoulder against the tree trunk.

The young saiyan fought the urge to roll his eyes, and instead became suddenly interested in a nearby textbook.

"Gohan…" he warned.

"Same as every year," Gohan grumbled, snapping the textbook shut, "fine Piccolo."

The pair sat in silence, as a cheer of raucous laughter filtered across the lawn.

Beside him, he heard Piccolo sigh, folding his green muscular arms across his chest. "I heard about what you did today, in East City," he stated offhandedly.

Gohan turned to look at him, but couldn't make out any hint of disapproval in his tone. "Yeah," he shrugged, "some prats stole the Mayor's money, so I got it back for him. No big deal."

Piccolo sniffed, his beetle-black eyes observing him closely; "You don't have to do this Gohan."

The teenager raised an eyebrow, "Do what?"

"You know what," said Piccolo, "It's like you've got something to prove."

Gohan stared, his mentor had never expressed his feelings towards his alter-ego before; well, apart from the first few pilot outfits. In fact, the 'Gold Fighter' was one of the only things that Piccolo let him get on with without any intervention.

"I'm not proving anything," he said slowly, "aren't you the one's that have always taught me to look out for others and do the right thing? That's all I'm doing Piccolo."

The Namekian eyed him for a moment, before sighing, "I just want you to be happy kid."

"I am happy," said Gohan, pulling the widest of goofish grins, "See?"

Piccolo snorted at his display, just as another jeer of laughter reached their ears; it seemed Master Roshi had initiated the drinking games again.

Only a few minutes had gone by, when Piccolo once again broke the silence that encompassed mentor and student.

"Your mother was screeching about you before you arrived."

"Not surprising," Gohan chirped from his notebook, "continue."

"Something about you having pierced your ear," informed Piccolo.

"It's NOT _pierced_ ," Gohan fumed, having had the argument countless times, "It's _stretched._ "

His mentor leaned closer, inspecting the earlobe that he had presented by tucking his long hair behind him. Within the lobe, sat a four millimetre plug, which was still a little inflamed.

"It looks stupid."

"Says you," the teenager growled, tearing himself away.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Piccolo frowned.

"Oh because you're the pinnacle of style, cape man."

Piccolo scoffed, "You used to wear one, I believe you said it was 'cool.'"

"Yeah, when I was eleven and didn't know any better," Gohan shot back.

The Namekian glared at him, until his lips drew into a smirk; which Gohan willingly returned.

Suddenly, their ears perked up and their heads averted to the now starlit sky. There wasn't as many stars to be seen in West City as there were in the seclusion of the Eastern Mountains, Gohan found; but soon did the polluted air begin to light up with reds, greens, purples and streaks of gold as fireworks from all over the city were released into the air.

The display was always dazzling; and seemed to get more brighter and extravagant with each passing year. Gohan had learned that the best firework display was held in Satan City Park, or Orange Star City Park as it used to be known. But Gohan simply refused to attend, not that any of his family and friends wanted to go in the first place.

Gohan didn't blame the bloke for taking the victory over Cell as his own; the teenager couldn't think of anything worse than having paparazzi banging on his door when he was already struggling to come to terms with the outcome of the battle.

Honestly, Gohan could of thanked him; but when it was announced that Hercule Satan had had a city named after him a couple of years ago, he thought it had gone too far.

Gohan couldn't even look at a box of Hercule-O's without wanting to throw up.

The same went for his mother too, it took half the Z-gang to prise the frying pan out of her hand and stop her marching up to Mister Satan's mansion. Although Gohan was certain he knew who would come out on top of that battle.

Despite the egotistical big head that Satan had become, Gohan couldn't deny just how at peace the Earth seemed. The young saiyan hadn't known peace to last this long, despite the rate of petty crime steadily growing; people were getting used to the peace, and were getting greedy it seemed.

But there was no impending doom on the planet and the human race seemed more than willing to accept Mister Satan as their saviour. The Z-fighter's had moved on, along with the rest of the world; and Gohan could hear them now, hanging out of the window nearest to him, gasping in awe at the myriad of colour that struck the velvet sky.

Slowly, the loud bangs and crackles of the displays diminished, leaving disappointing clouds of dust and smoke in their wake. Avoiding Piccolo's questioning stare, Gohan sighed deeply and set to work on his assignment; picking up his pencil once again and scribbling the words his teacher wanted to hear.


	3. A Girl Named Lime

**Chapter Two**

 **A Girl Named Lime**

It was seven am, and Gohan's alarm clock was screaming at him. Literally.

"GOHAN! GOHAN! IT'S TIME TO GET UP! WAAAAAAKE UUUUUUUUUP!"

Gohan groaned, ignoring his younger brother by burying his head further into the pillow, scrunching up his face in attempt to will himself back to sleep; but to no avail.

Currently, Goten was jumping up and down on his back, his chubby fists embedded in his long hair; tugging on the mane relentlessly in an effort to pull him from his slumber.

After twenty minutes of what only could be described as Monday morning hell, the teenager decided to put an end to his brother's onslaught.

"GOTEN!" Gohan snapped, shooting up in bed and causing the boy to let go.

"Yes?" Goten asked innocently, as remnants of the teenager's hair fell from his fingers.

The young saiyan sighed, pressing his hand to his head as he tried to adjust to the brightness of his bedroom, "How're you this much of a morning person?"

"Morning's?!" Goten's eyes widened with glee, "Morning's are the bestest big bwother! There's birdies and bweakfast and sunshine and cartoons and-"

Goten stopped suddenly, when Gohan pushed a finger to his lips.

"No Goten," Gohan breathed, ignoring the boy's befuddled expression, "just no."

"But-" he stared, yet Gohan shushed him, clamping his whole hand over Goten's mouth.

"Look, why don't you go and let Mummy know how much you love mornings?" urged the teenager, "I bet she'll love it so much that she'll let you watch all your cartoons _before_ your school work!"

"She will?!" the younger halfling beamed, once Gohan removed his palm.

"I don't know," he pondered mockingly, "why don't you go and find out?"

"YAY!" the little boy cried, jumping from his brother's bed and hurtling out of the room.

Gohan waited for his retreating footsteps to reach the kitchen, before letting out a huge sigh and crashing back into his pillows for five more blissful minutes of undisturbed sleep.

Unfortunately for Gohan, five minutes of extra peace and quiet turned into fifty; subsequently making him horridly late for school. With a piece of toast stuffed in his mouth and his mother's voice ringing relentlessly in his ears; Gohan made the short flight over the mountain to school in Chazke Village.

At first, his mother was reluctant to send him to the local comprehensive; instead piling his desk with prospectuses from the likes of high achieving institutes such as Orange Star High School and West City Academy. In reality, the young saiyan was rather unenthusiastic about attending any school; yet his mother and Bulma had insisted, especially after he had spent the following months after the Cell Games holed up in his bedroom.

So Gohan and Chi-Chi had compromised; and to his delight she had allowed him to attend school with the friend he had made right before he had faced Cell, the green grocer's granddaughter; Lime Lao. He had in fact, seen the girl a few times in the summer before school had started, and Lime was sharp enough to know that it was not Hercule Satan that had beaten Cell. Still, she had kept his secret, along with her grandfather; and the two had been almost inseparable since beginning their were due to start their fifth year this September coming, which meant their teacher's were coming down hard on them in the lead up to their examinations.

Gohan blasted quickly over the small village; the Monday morning hustle and bustle thriving beneath him on the cobbled streets. Old, stone farming buildings span out beneath him, the teenager following the path up the rolling hills to the school.

Chazke Village Comprehensive was small, hosting a student capacity of just over a hundred, even though it's catchment area spread all across the Eastern Mountains. The majority of students were locals, though some; like Gohan, made the long trek from their rural homes to be educated.

Like the other buildings in the Village, the school was made of cold stone with an old thatched roof. It looked rather quaint, but was surrounded by large playing fields that were used for sports and break times.

Gohan landed carefully around the back of the school; where several students had parked their bicycles. Double checking there was no one around, the young halfling jumped over the back gates and into the empty gymnasium. He hurtled down the corridor to his classroom, skidding to a halt as he nearly missed the doorway.

Swearing under his breath as he realised the class had well and truly started, Gohan opened the rickety door when all heads suddenly snapped towards him.

"Ah, Mister Son, late again I see," Mister Paisley called from his desk.

Gohan forced a grin, "Sorry Sir, I overslept."

Paisley pursed his lips, dipping his head so that his spectacles slid to the end of his long nose. He was an older gentleman, perhaps nearing his retirement; and always wore brown tweet suits and reeked of peppermints and tobacco. He taught literature, and seemed just as bored with it as everyone else in fourth year; every month's beginning he would whip out a new book and assign every student to 'read in silence' and 'make notes'. It was the most pointless lesson Gohan had experienced, it didn't help that he had read most of the syllabus by the time he was seven.

What? He had to do something on the way to Namek.

"Indeed," Paisley said snidely, "Perhaps investing in an alarm clock would be most advantageous. We wouldn't want any more of my students to be subjected to that bed head of yours."

"Yes Sir," said Gohan through gritted teeth, ignoring the titter of laughter from his classmates as he attempted to flatten his hair and made his way to his seat.

"And need I remind you again Son to _tuck that shirt in_ ," Paisley called again.

The young saiyan rolled his eyes and did as he was told before sliding into his seat.

"Now," Paisley stated, clearing his throat, "if we could all continue to read _in silence,_ we will be moving forward in our efforts to complete the Epilogue of 'War and Peace'. That is if you can _stay awake_ this time Mister Son."

"I'll try my best Sir," chirped Gohan, earning him a few laughs and a scowl from Paisley.

A couple of minutes of silent reading from the humongous textbook in front of him, and Gohan felt himself being nudged in the ribs.

"He's right you know," came a girlish whisper in his ear, "maybe you _do_ need a new alarm clock, Goten obviously isn't working."

The halfling looked to his right with a wry smile, "Are you suggesting that I trade in my little brother for a new one?"

"I'm just saying," shrugged Lime, "Kid wakes you up at dawn on a Sunday, who would want an alarm clock like that?"

Gohan grinned at his best friend as she smiled back, flipping her long auburn hair over her shoulder. Lime had fully outgrown her pigtails; her curly locks now falling to her waist. Like Gohan, she had made a few alternate adjustments to her appearance, more noticeably the streak of violet she had running through her messy fringe.

Her pretty turquoise eyes were still framed by small freckles underneath, something that Gohan had first noticed about her when he saved her from the ravine over four years ago. She wore her school uniform in the same scruffy manner as he, her tie loose around her neck and her buttons undone around her collar. Her blazer was discarded due to the heat of the day; and she wore her school skirt short with knee high grey socks and chunky black biker boots.

She sighed deeply, chewing on the end of her purple gel pen; because 'biro was too conformist'. Bangles of many colours and ties of fabric adorned her wrists; they clacked heavily on the table as she flipped through the pages in her textbook. Her eyes had barely skimmed the page she was reading when she turned to him again, "So how was yesterday?"

"Rubbish, like always," grumbled Gohan, resting his chin on his hand.

They jumped slightly, when Mister Paisley made a harsh shushing noise in their direction.

"Oh I don't know," Lime whispered after Paisley had returned to his reading, "It seemed like you had a more interesting day than me, or at least _The Gold Fighter_ did."

Gohan groaned, "Oh no, not you too."

"What do you mean?" she scoffed, "It was all over the national news!" She straightened up, putting on a reporter-like voice, "The Gold Fighter escapes again! Superhero? Or Supervillian? You decide! DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!"

"I'm not a-!"

"Son! Lao!" The teenagers quickly snapped their heads back to their reading, as Mister Paisley scolded them; his eyebrows knitted into a deep frown. "Don't make me separate you two again."

"Yes Sir," "Sorry Sir," they mumbled, as Paisley gave them a satisfied nod.

"I'm not a superhero, _or_ a supervillian," whispered Gohan after a moments silence, "I _told_ you, I'm a vigilante, it's different!"

Lime snorted, her gaze still on her work, "Whatever, you still wear tights."

"I do NOT wear tights!" Gohan fumed, before realising that the class had become eerily silent. Sure enough, all heads had turned towards him; including Mister Paisleys.

"Thank you, Mister Son, for informing the entire class of your state of dress," he said shortly, his eyes narrowed in disapproval, "Now if you would be so kind as to stand outside, we will discuss the matter of your cross-dressing after the lesson has concluded."

Ignoring Lime who was struggling to contain her laughter, Gohan grabbed his rucksack and stormed out of the classroom. Once the door had slammed behind him, he dropped his bag on the floor and leaned against the wall in a huff.

But the young saiyan's solitude didn't last long, as no more than five minutes later did the classroom door swing open, and Lime skipped happily out into the corridor.

"What are you doing?" he asked, as the girl took her place beside him against the wall. She was about a head shorter than he, which he was particularly pleased about, as up until the new year, she had spent the majority of their friendship being taller than him.

Lime looked up at him with a wicked smile, "Making sure you're not getting too lonely out here by yourself."

Gohan raised his eyebrows at her.

"What?" she scoffed, folding her arms across her chest, "Be thankful you've got such a good friend that will get into trouble _especially_ for you."

Gohan laughed, "What did you say to get sent out?"

"Tcchh, I'm not telling you _all_ my secrets," she winked, tapping her nose with her finger.

"That's not fair, I've told you all mine," he pouted.

Lime grinned, "I don't see how thats my problem, blondie; come on, lets get a shift on and get out of this hell hole."

Lime pulled on his arm, leading them up the corridor and away from the classroom.

"But we've only been here half an hour!" Gohan stated in a harsh whisper, stopping the pair in their tracks.

"And have you learned anything useful?" she asked, whirling around and placing her hands on her hips.

"No…"

"Well then!" She beamed, linking his arm with her own, "I say that we've fulfilled our education for today, lets go!"

Escaping the old building wasn't nearly as difficult as Gohan had originally thought; lessons were still in progress which meant the hallways were empty of staff and students alike. They made the twenty minute walk to the outskirts of the Village, making a short stop to one of the local chip shop's. It was Lime's treat, as usual; as she made some earnings working with her grandfather in his business, although Gohan never really felt comfortable with her buying things for him.

After she had forcibly shoved a cone of chips in his hands, the two teenager's headed to a small lake at the edge of the forest that ran around the outside of the settlement. Their shoes and socks were discarded as they dipped their feet in the cool spring water; the mid-morning sun beating down heavily upon them as they ate and chatted.

"Ahh, this is the life," Lime cooed, chucking her empty cone over her shoulder and laying down on the emerald green grass. Her long hair shone brightly in the sunshine, strands of gold and copper fanning out around her as she breathed in the pine scented air of the forest.

Gohan chuckled, kicking his feet so that ripples rocked the waters edge. "Yeah," he breathed, casting his gaze over the cloudless sky, before a cigarette was thrust into his hand.

"Want one?" asked Lime, her lips holding her own as she propped herself up on her elbow.

"Thanks," he smiled, taking it from her and lighting them both with a small spark of ki from his finger.

They smoked in silence for a while, the tranquil sounds of the trickling water and rustling of the surrounding trees filling their senses.

"So I didn't have such a great day yesterday either," said Lime, flicking some ash onto the ground.

"Oh?" he pressed, tilting his head to look at her.

"Yeah," she sighed heavily, "My Dad rang."

Gohan raised an eyebrow, taking another drag of his cigarette. Lime very rarely spoke of her parents, it was a rather touchy subject. The young saiyan had thought it curious that the girl's parents were never around, as he distinctly remembered her grandfather mentioning that an imperfect Cell had killed them when he arrived at Chazke Village.

When he had asked, his best friend became very defensive. And as it turned out, the only reason her mother and father were in the village that fatal day, was to ask her grandfather for more money. Gohan was surprised to find that they had abandoned Lime with her grandfather when she was a baby, in favour of continuing their dangerous lives as bandits.

Apparently, they needed more money for supplies, so had stopped off at Mr Lao's shop; and when he had refused them they left, running directly into Cell's murderous path.

Death, apparently, had no effect on them by means of wanting to stay with their family. They had soon up and left the girl again, and Lime hadn't heard from her parents for a couple of years now.

"What did he want?" asked Gohan, frowning.

Lime shrugged, throwing her cigarette stub on the ground, "I dunno, I answered the phone and once I realised it was him, I hung up."

"Probably for the best," he concluded, as the girl's features suddenly became deflated. "You know, the offers still there if you want me to rough them up a little.." he smirked, causing Lime to chuckle.

"No thanks," she smiled, looking towards him, "Even though it would probably scare the life out of them, they're still my parents I suppose."

Gohan nodded, offering her a small smile.

"Besides, I don't think The Gold Fighter needs any more bad publicity."

Gohan scoffed, tossing his cigarette stub into the lake and folding his arms across his chest, "Any publicity is good publicity Miss Lao."

"And who the bloody hell do you think you are?" she laughed heartily, "Mister sodding Satan?!"

"Oi!" he growled, "That's not fair! You never know, a Gold Fighter action figure might soon be available at a local supermarket near you."

Lime roared with laughter, "Imagine that! A Gold Fighter doll!"

"Not a _doll_ ," Gohan scowled, "An action figure. For manly fighting games."

"Yeah yeah, call it want you want, its still a doll."

"You are not my favourite person today," he stated.

"Now we all know thats a lie," she beamed offering him another cigarette.

Gohan glared at her, but took one anyway, "You can't bribe my friendship you know."

"Yes I can," she smirked as he lit up again.

The halfling rolled his eyes, taking a long drag of his fix.

"So tell me," quirked Lime, reaching over and flicking his earlobe with her finger, "What did your mum say when she found out about your stretcher?"

"Ow!" he whined, rubbing his ear, "It's still sore you know."

Lime snorted, "I told you you had to build up to a four, you can't just ram one in your ear; super-powered half-alien or not."

Gohan glared at her, as she smoothed her hair behind her own ear. Lime in fact, had both of her ears stretched; although her grandfather hadn't really noticed. The young saiyan wasn't too sure whether Mister Lao was going a little bit blind or had just ignored them altogether; he had a reputation of being too soft on his granddaughter.

"So come on, how was it?" she pressed, cocking her head to one side.

Gohan sighed, "It was bad, I thought she was going to rip my earlobe off when she saw it."

"Ouch," she replied, taking in another drag, "Worse than when she found that pack of cigarettes in your sock draw?"

"Give or take," he shrugged, pulling his rucksack towards him and taking out a can of cola.

Lime sighed deeply, "You know, I've been thinking…"

"Of what?" he asked, before taking a huge swig.

"Of getting my nipples pierced."

Gohan choked on his drink, his eyes watering immensely as he turned towards her in shock.

"What?" she asked, surprised, "It's nothing you haven't seen before."

"Well… yeah…" the young saiyan spluttered, "But I mean, _Kami_ Lime.."

"Yeah I suppose you're right," she continued indifferently, grabbing Gohan's can and taking a huge swig. Slowly, she frowned, turning her head towards him with a look that he wasn't sure he was comfortable with, "Hang on, are you saying you wouldn't like it?"

He stared at her, feeling a bit warm all of a sudden, "Well, I don't know… I mean er… they always look… nice…, I just don't know what they'd look like with metal things in them…"

Gohan studied her reaction, for which she seemed deep in thought at present. Lime wasn't the sort of person to beat around the bush as it were, and Gohan learned that first hand about a month ago when she had kissed him.

It was safe to say that Gohan had thought about doing just the same for a while, but could never build up the guts to do such a thing. He would never dream of going to any of his friends for advice, Bulma would be beside herself and squeal relentlessly in his earholes about how much he was growing up; and he would be forever on the receiving end of teasing from the likes of Krillin and Yamcha. As for Roshi…well, he'd rather not go there altogether.

So he was more than thrilled when Lime had first kissed him when he had dropped her off at her house after another night of loitering around the village. It was forceful and rather heated; and all Gohan could do was stand there and stare numbly after her as she skipped over the threshold. Since then, Gohan's courage had proven to be more daring, and the teenager's had now done a lot more than just snogging around the back of Mister Lao's cornfields. The young saiyan was well aware it wasn't something that 'normal' friends did, but for the most part, Gohan couldn't care less.

Despite this new endeavour they had both embraced, neither of them seemed to pursue anything further; and barely spoke of what they had gotten up to on their nightly wonderings. Gohan was simply contented of following Lime's philosophy of 'just going with it'; it seemed to have worked for him so far, without getting into the overcomplicated mess that were teenage relationships. Gohan had had enough of hearing about such drama's from their fellow classmates.

"Hmm, maybe I should just get the one done then," Lime said thoughtfully, "Which one do you prefer?"

"You what?" he blinked.

"Come on, don't be shy!" She urged, pointing at her bosom, "Lefty or righty? Which one do you like better?"

Gohan laughed, "I don't mind, honest!"

The girl rolled her eyes at him, "Kami you're so boring, maybe I should ask one of the other boys in fourth year, see what they think."

"Now you're just teasing," Gohan pouted.

"Why, you jealous?" She smirked, "Jealous if I wonder up to Jamie Yang at break time and ask him what he thinks of my knockers?"

"Jamie Yang?" He scoffed, trying to hide his laughter, "Why him?"

"I dunno," she shrugged, "He seems like he would know a thing or two, have you seen the way he handles a rugby ball?"

As Gohan touched down in his usual spot in the grounds of Capsule Corporation, he wasn't sure just how long he and Lime had spent in the secluded corners of the lake; but one thing he did know for certain was that Jamie Yang wouldn't be getting a look in.

Still, it was too early for him to head home without his mother getting suspicious, so the teenager had wisely made a detour to West City with the hope of sampling some of Mrs Briefs' delicious baking; a small cone of chips was certainly not enough to satisfy a half-saiyan stomach, and Gohan was starting to get hungry.

Pressing the doorbell with his index finger, he waited patiently for the distant chime to cease before the door was forcibly swung open and he was met with a pair of fierce blue eyes.

"Please tell me that you got let out of school early because of a flood or fire."

Gohan grinned, "Would you believe me if I said yes?"

Bulma sighed in distain before stepping aside to let him over the threshold. The young saiyan smiled at her gratefully before following her through the long corridors to her office. Bulma's personal laboratory slash office was situated deep inside the complex, furthest away from the family living quarters and closer to the research labs. Gohan loved visiting the labs, and when Lime was busy with her grandfather; he would spend the majority of his free time poking his nose about in there.

The research facilities fascinated him, especially the hundreds of people in long white lab coats that would smile and nod at him when he walked with Bulma. The respect the blue haired woman had from her employees was intense, especially as she had recently taken over the company in place of her retired father.

"Well?" Bulma asked, once they were seated in her office. One half of the room was brightly lit and adorned with brown leather furniture. The other half was flanked with a complex looking switch board with large, state of the art television screens. Flashing lights and a high pitched beeping sound alerted him that it was analysing something; more than likely new capsule models as complicated graphics that sped across the screens. The office had a wall made entirely of rectangular windows that overlooked the main shipping complex, where currently around fifty employees were inspecting a hover car prototype.

Bulma leaned against her large oak desk, which was adorned with important looking documents and pictures of her family. She flicked her short hair out of her eyes, before placing one hand on her hip in annoyance; the other came to rest on her very prominent baby bump.

Gohan was just as amazed as everyone else when Bulma had announced her second pregnancy. It seemed Vegeta had really settled into his life on Earth, even though he still spent the majority of his time holed up in his gravity room. After Gohan had finished his homework last night, he had only managed to spend an hour with the gang before heading home; and the saiyan prince was still nowhere to be seen.

Bulma had stated he was training, with a somewhat saddened look in her eye. It wasn't particularly unusual to see Vegeta at reunions nowadays, but he simply refused to do anything but train himself into the ground on the anniversary of the Cell Games. The Z-gang had guessed that he wasn't over Goku's death, but Gohan had a theory that it ran deeper than that.

But once the anniversary was over, the proud prince would once again resume his usual balance of training and family life. Gohan had even heard rumours that Vegeta had gone to the baby scan with Bulma at the local hospital; albeit it was the ever gossiping Yamcha he had heard such rumours from.

Now Bulma was five months pregnant and positively glowing; but like her husband and training, she showed no signs of slowing down with her work, despite Gohan's mother's insistence.

"Well what?" Gohan asked as he plonked himself into one of the soft leather armchairs opposite her, resting his legs over one of the arms.

Bulma's eyes narrowed at the halfling, "Well Gohan, what am I supposed to say to your school this time? Your 'grandmother' has died three times already!"

The teenager shrugged, looking up to the whirring fan on the ceiling, "Dunno, can't you say I was helping you out on a project or something?"

"It's not as simple as that kiddo," she sighed, sitting on the armchair closest to him.

"Oh come on," Gohan mused, "What's so hard to believe that a multi-billion Zeni, scientifically pioneering company is in desperate need of the brains of a fifteen year old school boy?"

"It's not funny Gohan," Bulma glowered, pursing her lips, "Look at you, I mean there's no denying your a smart kid; but how long is this truanting going to go on for?"

The teen rolled his eyes, "You don't call it that when I'm missing school as The Gold Fighter, what's the difference?"

Her eyes glinted fiercely, "The difference is that The Gold Fighter is going out to help people, whereas Son Gohan is arseing around the village doing who knows what with who knows who!"

"Urgh, you sound like my mother," he grumbled.

"I'm as good as," she shot back, "and you know it."

Gohan averted his eyes to his hands, suddenly ashamed.

"And don't give me that hoo-hah of acting as The Gold Fighter today, because I know for a fact that you weren't!" Bulma cried.

"Oh?" He wondered, "How?"

"Vegeta," she stated smugly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Vegeta?" he quirked, confused as how the prince would know such a thing, let alone be remotely interested.

"Yep," said Bulma, "I know exactly when your donning your alter ego because every time you power up, Vegeta barges in here and informs me that 'the brat is playing superhero again'.

"I'm NOT a superhero!" Gohan protested, "I'm a-"

"Vigilante," interjected Bulma smoothly, "I know, I know."

The teenager scowled, but still a question played on his mind, "But why would he tell you that?"

"Not sure," Bulma shrugged, "Guess he knows about the communication device I implanted in your head gear so we can talk; I think he expects me to make sure you don't do anything too reckless and destroy something. Not while he's still on the planet anyway," she finished nonchalantly.

"Makes sense," said Gohan.

Although he could see the saiyan prince saying such a thing, he wouldn't have put it past Bulma to have constructed some kind of obscure tracking device into his suit. In fact, The Gold Fighter was all Bulma's idea in the first place; even though the actual title of Gohan's alter ego had steamed from the hyped up media.

It had all started about two years after the conclusion of the Cell Games, when Gohan had been out shopping in West City for a suit for Krillin and Eighteen's wedding. Although the ceremony was months away, his mother and Bulma had insisted on picking out a suit for him. He had been dragged around what felt like a million clothing shops; with every personal shopper - male and female - pinching at his cheeks exclaiming how he would 'make all the girls swoon'.

Finally, he had managed to find a bench to rest his aching limbs as Chi-Chi and Bulma left in search of matching accessories for their own outfits. The newly turned thirteen year old was left rocking the pushchair of an irritated Goten, whilst resting a sleep deprived Trunks on his lap; when a sudden explosion rocked the shopping centre.

Debris fell all around them and screams filled the air. But Gohan was fast, and sped the two toddler's to safety. With his ears ringing from the explosion, the teen burst into his super saiyan form and sprang into action. It took him all but a split second to find and disarm the terrorists; crackhead thugs of an older generation that weren't all to happy with the peace Mister Satan's supposed victory had brought.

He tied them up in a broken piece of metal scaffolding and deposited them in front of the complex's entrance; where the emergency services were waiting. It was due to Gohan's quick rescue, did people escape with only minor cuts and bruises; he picked up his mother and Bulma, along with Goten and Trunks and made his way home.

The young saiyan thought he had gone pretty much unnoticed; until he watched the news that evening. It seemed the nation had gone wild for the boy journalist's had dubbed 'The Gold Fighter', and even matched him to the delivery boy at the Cell Games; something that Gohan was particularly irked about.

Not wanting to be recognised if he was put into such a situation again, Bulma came up with the idea of a disguise; something that Gohan was reluctant to do at first. But after a few months, terrible outfits and various electric shocks in the most sensitive of areas; The Gold Fighter of the present was born and had been fighting crime ever since.

"I know school isn't as… _challenging_ for you as the other kids," Bulma continued, her eyes softening at the guilty look on his face, "but that doesn't mean that you can just come and go whenever you feel like it. I can't keep covering for you forever, if your mother finds out, she'll kill me."

"Sorry Bulma," he breathed, "I just get so bored."

"I know that kiddo," she smiled, "That's why geniuses like us have to stick together. You told me once that you wanted to work here right?"

Gohan nodded. She was right, he told her that years ago; a few weeks after the battle with Frieza when the Namekian's were staying at Capsule Corp waiting for their planet to be wished anew. He and Dende had been caught sneaking into one of the aerospace engineering labs; and a seven year old Gohan had informed an irate Bulma that he wanted to build rockets, something that had both shocked and humbled her.

"Well then," she said, ruffling his hair affectionately, "You have to go to school to get the grades mister."

"Can't you just let me in anyway?" he pouted, "I'll be really quiet and good and no one will notice!"

Bulma scoffed, "I don't think it will go unnoticed if I suddenly let a teenager start managing half my staff."

Gohan groaned; they both knew he could build a jumbo jet engine with his eyes closed.

"Sorry Gohan, it's company policy," she stated, "You have to go through the same slack as all the other apprentices; which _includes_ passing your high school exams next year."

"Fine," he huffed, accepting his fate, "but could you please just cover for me this time? I promise I'll try not to skip school again."

"See there's that word there; _try_." Bulma tutted, getting up and reaching for the phone at her desk. Placing her receiver to her ear she looked him up and down, "Honestly Gohan its a wonder I haven't had security called about a ruffian in my office. Look at the state of you! You've got grass stains everywhere, have you been rolling around in the mud or something?"

"Something like that…" Gohan blushed, averting his eyes.

"Oh hello there, this is Bulma Briefs calling for Son Gohan; yes hello again," said Bulma, covering the speaker before shaking her head at him, "Go on, off you go, there's some spare clothes washed and pressed for you in your guest room."

Gohan gave her a winning smile, earning him another glare; although this time Bulma failed to hide her amusement. The teenager didn't know what sort of excuse she had used this time, but he was glad she had covered for him again. He couldn't help but feel a little bad, but Bulma seemed happy to do it the first few times; apparently, she herself was a bit of a rebel when she was not much older than him.

Pelting down the corridors back towards the living quarters, Gohan was blissfully unaware of the large metal door opening to his left - until he ran headfirst into it.

"Ow! Mother f-!"

"Oh hi Gohan! Watcha doin' down there?"

Gohan looked up from where he had hit the ground, clasping a hand to his forehead that he was certain would be sporting a magnificent looking bruise in a couple of hours. When his vision stopped spinning, he realised that the purple blur he was looking up at was indeed Trunks, who was staring at him with a curious expression.

"Oh you know," Gohan mused, "Just trying to keep my head."

"You're weird Gohan," sniffed the younger halfling.

"Cheers Trunks," he replied dully, "What are you doing opening doors on innocent people huh?"

"Oh," Trunks beamed, "Dad and I are training, he just sent me out to go tell grandma to bring food."

Gohan raised an eyebrow; indeed, father and son looked as though they were having quite the training session. Trunks' short lavender hair was wet with sweat, his green and orange gi torn at the knees and burnt off at one shoulder. A few scrapes and bruises littered his small body; but Gohan couldn't help but grin at the plaster that was oh so lovingly placed on Trunks' right cheek.

Gohan was about to ask the young boy where he too could find some snacks, when a loud bellow came from inside the chamber, "Trunks! Is that the servant woman you're talking to? Tell her I want another one of those fairy cakes she made last week!"

" _Dad_!" Trunks hollered back, placing his hands on his hips so that he scarily resembled Bulma. "I already told you, Grandma isn't a servant, she lives here! Besides, I'm not talking to Grandma, it's Gohan!"

"What?" Vegeta called, "What the hell does he want?"

"I dunno," Trunks shrugged, looking back at the teenager.

"Well ask him boy!"

"I already did," said Trunks, "But I kinda hit him with a door; he's been lying here for a while now."

Gohan scowled, as Vegeta's sudden outburst of laughter echoed around the gravity chamber. After a while, the prince's footsteps drew closer to the door and he emerged with a wicked smirk.

"What's the matter brat?" he quirked, "Can defeat Cell but can't handle a four year old with a door?"

"Piss off," Gohan growled, clambering up from the ground to face the prince.

Due to his growth spurt, he and Vegeta were now at level eye with each other. But that did not deter from the prince's overbearing presence; especially as he was currently sporting nothing but spandex shorts and training shoes, a light sheen of sweat glistening over his scarred muscle torso; his obsidian eyes suddenly narrowed.

"Watch your mouth in front of the boy," he warned in a dangerous tone, causing the teenager's glare to falter.

"Dad I'm _hungry_ ," Trunks whined from between them, having been completely oblivious to Gohan's language, "Can I go get food now?"

Vegeta sighed, turning towards his son, "Trunks, what did we discuss?"

The young boy pouted, before reciting perfectly; "Saiyan's don't whine, we purge, conquer and destroy until nothing but glooooorious victory remains. Saiyan pride does not …wafer? We are the super-elite! HOO HAH!"

At the end of his small speech, Trunks made a solute by punching his chest and throwing his arm into the air, before looking to his father for approval.

"Very good," said Vegeta, "Now run along before your bulbous mother ransacks the kitchen again."

"Yay!" The boy cried, before zooming down the corridor at lightening speed.

Gohan stared at the older saiyan, "Bit much don't you think?"

Vegeta scoffed, "And who are you to give parenting advice brat? Your father was hardly present to teach you anything useful."

The teenager grit his teeth in anger; their meetings were always like this. It would start with casual banter before Vegeta would insult his father. But Gohan wasn't stupid, he knew the prince was only doing it to get a rise out of him.

It was a mutual understanding between the Z-Fighter's that they would never ask Gohan to train with them seriously. A friendly spar from time to time wouldn't go amiss; but an all out fight was off limits. Why? It was because Gohan would flip if he was pushed too far, and for that reason the teenager simply refused to ascend past super saiyan. In fact, he hadn't done so since the Cell Games; although Piccolo had tried to help him control the form, Gohan was afraid of making the same mistakes again and be blinded by his power.

But one thing about the Prince of all Saiyan's, was that he couldn't just drop it. Gohan's theory was evidentially sound in his opinion; in that Vegeta wasn't satisfied with being the second strongest on the planet. The fact of the matter was that the full bloodied saiyan hadn't managed to achieve what the gang had dubbed 'super saiyan two'; and he knew just which buttons of Gohan's to push.

"So why aren't you at that godforsaken institute you call an education facility?" Vegeta continued, looking him up and down, "The thrill of playing superhero not doing if for you anymore?"

Gohan said nothing, instead began wishing that he hadn't come down this way; Capsule Corp. was so big he could of gotten to the bedroom he used via five different corridors.

"Tell me brat," Vegeta smirked, "Apart from those weaklings you roughed up, how many cats did you rescue yesterday?"

"Shut it Vegeta," he growled, causing the prince's smirk to grow ever wider.

"You seem angry boy," he observed mockingly, "Why not let it out and get some real training in instead of running around after pathetic thieves?"

Although Gohan was tempted to slug the gloating prince in the face, he knew that if he stepped into that gravity chamber that only one of them would come out unscathed; and it wouldn't be him. The teenager hadn't exactly been as relentless with his training as Vegeta had these last few years.

Luckily for him, did Bulma's cheerful voice penetrate the tension of the two saiyan's.

" _There_ you are Gohan!" she huffed, holding onto her belly, "I wondered where you had got to, and your still not changed!"

"Sorry Bulma," Gohan smiled, "I bumped into Trunks and Vegeta on the way."

"Woman," Vegeta cut across them before she could reply, "What on earth are you doing running around the corridors after the brat in your condition?"

"Aww, you're worried Vegeta?" Gohan teased, knowing the prince could do nothing in front of Bulma without facing a day without the gravity room, "That's cute."

Vegeta shot him a murderous glare as Bulma reached them.

"Oh Gohan stop teasing him," she giggled, earning herself a small noise of disgust from the prince; "I just was looking for you because I wanted to know what your doing three Friday's from now."

"Wow Bulma, that's a bit specific," the teenager stared, "Why?"

The blue haired heiress rolled her eyes, "because I wanted to know if you would accompany me to Capsule Corp.'s charity ball that Friday!

"A ball?" Gohan scoffed pointing accusingly at her husband, "Why can't _he_ go?"

Bulma snorted, nudging Vegeta in the ribs, "Because my charming prince here threatened to blow up the swing band if he was made to dance, that's why."

Behind his wife, Vegeta smirked.

"Typical," said Gohan, "But Bulma, I can't dance."

"Don't you lie to me Son Gohan," she frowned, poking him in the chest, "Your mother told me about those ballroom dance lessons she got you in between training for the androids."

Gohan groaned, "She did?"

"Oh she showed me home video's Gohan," Bulma informed him smugly, "and I must say you are _quite_ the dancer."

"This is _so_ embarrassing," the teenager sighed, as Vegeta started to snicker. He absolutely hated the lessons his mother had enforced on him in those three years of training, stating that he had to do something other than solid fighting to enrich his mind.

He had a choice at first; learn to play the violin or ballroom dancing classes. Eventually the late night practising of a very screechy Mozart's concerto three was enough to make Piccolo, his father and his mother choose for him; so ballroom dancing it was.

"Anyway, I'm not _asking_ you to go Gohan, I'm telling you," Bulma stated forcibly, "I need to do a bit of networking with our sponsors and I need someone sensible to make sure I get round everybody and do some mingling. Being pregnant and wearing platform heels isn't easy you know."

"Aww," Gohan pouted, "but do I really have to?"

"Yes," she smiled triumphantly, "All the biggest engineering companies will be there, along with some big names with big bank accounts willing to flash the cash, and I'll need to scope out the competition. Plus, I think it will be good for me to introduce one of our future protégées don't you?"

He smiled, as Bulma winked at him. Maybe it would be good for him to do a bit of networking too and meet his future competitors.

"Great!" she beamed excitedly, shoving Vegeta to the side and grasping Gohan's face in her palms, "Oh it's going to be wonderful Gohan! We can fix you all up and show you off! Ooh, you'll need a brand new suit! You'll look so handsome!"

"I have to wear a suit?" he whined under her grasp.

Suddenly, Bulma's hands retreated from him, and he was met with her pricing stare, "I just got you out of a months worth of detention kid, you'll wear whatever I tell you to wear."


	4. The Return of Mister Shu

**Chapter Three**

 **The Return of Mister Shu**

"Mock examinations!"

The slog of Monday morning had travelled well into Tuesday afternoon. It was after lunch, and the fourth years were called into the stuffy gymnasium for a 'talk' on their upcoming mock exams in July. Gohan was sat crosslegged at the back of the hall with Lime, his eyes fixed forward as the sun streamed through the dusty single glazing; casting whips of shadows upon the chipped wooden floor.

"These exams will test your knowledge and skill to its very limits!" The deputy head, Mister Adler cried, his voice echoing over the hall. He was a tall man, that would have looked more threatening were it not for his baggy knitted cardigan and wavering toupee that seemed to jump several centimetres off his head as he changed the direction of his pacing.

"Each word you write and equation you solve will decipher the rest of your academic fate!" He bellowed, his toupee positively leaping from his scalp, "Yes, yes, they may be called 'mock' examinations but they are examinations none the less! This is your chance to enrich your minds and challenge yourself before the next year comes and your destiny is sealed!"

"Honestly, it would be more threatening if we hadn't already heard the same speech over twenty times," Lime whispered in his ear with a yawn.

"Shh," said a girl named Lucy Chao in the row in front, "You'll miss the best bit, he's gonna start ranting about his divorce in a second!"

"And what should happen Sir, if I fail these exams I hear you ask?" Adler chimed, "Well students, you'll have the time of your life at first, travel the world, go to a few strip bars until you finally meet the one. You'll get her pregnant, get a good job in the middle of _nowhere_ to support her and the kids that you don't even think are yours; just because _someone_ couldn't be away from her mother. You'll wind up with thousands worth of debt because the bitch stole it all and what are you left with? Nothing! Then YOU get asked why your such a failure George? When did you become less of a man George?! Well I'll tell you why you bi-"

Thankfully, before his lecture got a rating; Mister Paisley intervened by escorting Adler off into the corridor before addressing the fourth years further. "Thank you Mister Adler for that inspiring speech," he coughed awkwardly, starting a round of applause that rippled slowly throughout the hall.

"Brilliant," Gohan chuckled.

"Poor bloke," Lime quipped, clapping enthusiastically as Paisley started to gesture to the side of him.

Gohan hadn't noticed the man slip into the room; but he couldn't help but think he looked familiar. He was a stocky gentleman, with an afro of tight black curls atop his head. He wore a midnight blue traditional eastern robe over black pleated trousers. He eyed the room with beady eyes behind horned rimmed spectacles; his eyes seemed to rest on the young saiyan, and a thin smirk protruded beneath his moustache.

"Students," Paisley started as the man made his way forward, "As academics, we have come to realise that our school isn't achieving at what it should be. We feel that you can all do better in next years exams; which is why the Headmaster has decided to start now, by recruiting a tutor that will help you through your mocks. These classes will take place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with you fourth years and will be dictated by Mister Shu."

Something clicked in the back of Gohan's memories, images of a younger Shu standing tall with a cane and a wicked smile. It couldn't be.

"You're _joking_!" Gohan said loudly, causing his classmates to laugh around him.

"Mister Son-!" Paisley started, but was interrupted by the notorious Shu.

"Thank you, Mister Paisley, but _I_ will handle this," Shu stated in his thick tone that Gohan remembered all too well. "Well _Son_ it seems we meet again, but this time your mummy isn't around to stick up for you is she?"

He could feel Lime's worried gaze upon him, but Gohan refused to tear his eyes away from Shu.

"I see your insolence hasn't wavered," he continued, "But never fear my boy I fully intend to _stamp_ it out of you by the end of the year."

The young saiyan intensified his glare, but it seemed not to faze the man.

"Now my _dear_ children," Mister Shu continued, as several students shoot each other astounded glances, "Though it is clear to me that such violent gang leaders such as Mister Son are looked up to with high esteem by your young, impressionable selves… insolence will NOT be tolerated in my classes, or indeed while I am present at this school."

"My job, is to educate your minds so that you pass your exams; failure to attend my lessons will be severely punished," said Shu, Gohan noticed a few of the staff exchange glances.

"By _detention_ of course," he added finally with a sickening chuckle, allowing a couple of students to breathe a sigh of relief.

It was only when Shu's long speech was over and the final bell had rang for the day did Gohan express just how he felt about the whole situation.

"Wow, do you want to repeat that?" Lime quipped after the teen had finished his angered and very colourful rant, "because I think there were a few people in Satan City that didn't quite hear you."

"Urgh!" Gohan huffed, kicking a nearby boulder so that it crumbled to the ground, "He's just _such_ a prat!"

They were walking up the path that led the long way around the village, drinking in the sun that drenched the valley's in a summer heat. Gohan had been in a significantly bad mood for the rest of the day, despite his best friend trying to cheer him up.

"Okay, so he's a got lust for capital punishment and has a weird obsession with you, what's so bad about him?" she asked.

Gohan sighed, delving into the horrific weeks of private tutoring that he had endured with Shu several years ago.

When he had finished, Lime let out a low whistle. "Ooh okay, so we're dealing with a real psychopath here."

"Exactly," said Gohan, "Honestly, I never thought I'd see the git again and now we're stuck with him three times a week!"

"Aww come on blondie," she winked, "You've still got me! We'll figure out a way to make him retire early I'm sure. Right after you teach me how to dance of course!"

With that she skipped off in front of him, performing a rather dodgy pirouette so that her school satchel swung about her.

The young saiyan rolled his eyes, "I told you Lime you can't come to the ball."

"Why not?" she pouted, still twirling, "It will be faaabulouuus!"

"You _can't,_ " said Gohan, "As much as I want you to, Bulma asked me to go with her to meet all these executives and make sure she doesn't suddenly give birth all over the dance floor."

"Fine," she huffed, running back and linking arms with him, "Go do your boring science thing."

"I will," he chuckled, "Besides, could you imagine the teasing I would get if I took you as my date?"

Lime grinned as they approached their destination, "Yeah you're right, I suppose you get enough of that already."

Gohan smiled thankfully as they walked up the stone flagged steps leading to her family green grocer's. The small thatched roof building hadn't changed at all in the years Gohan had known it. It stood proudly by the edge of the forest, and lay amongst the fields in which Mister Lao grew his fruit and vegetables to sell. Large wooden barrels and sweeping brushes leaned up the side of the building, along with the wood store that Gohan had completely stocked up for them the week before.

The first floor of the Lao's was dedicated solely to the business, with a long wooden counter at the back of the room and homemade jars of chutney, jams and branded tins of whole foods were placed on shelves that lined the walls. Out the back, was a a patio that looked over the fields; in which he had spent many a time watching the sunset with them both.

Upstairs, was where Lime and her grandfather lived. There was a small kitchen and dining space, along with a living room, bathroom and two bedrooms for each of them. Gohan; to Mister Lao's knowledge, had only been invited to use the kitchen and bathroom facilities, although he had seen the inside of Lime's bedroom numerous times over the past weeks whilst he was out.

Lime's room was particularly spacious; decorated with an array of band posters and was messy beyond belief. She had a small balcony beneath her window, that Gohan could easily land and take off from without being spotted.

"Hiya Gramps!" Lime called, barging into the shop and leaving the bell above the door tinkering.

Mister Lao looked up from where he was polishing the counter, his wrinkled face breaking into a beaming smile at the sight of them.

Gohan had always thought it rude to ask just how old the man was, but guessed he was at least in his mid-seventies. Even so, Mister Lao was always up for a friendly spar with Gohan, and was showing no signs of letting up anytime soon.

"Lime, my darling girl," he doted, discarding his cloth and embracing his granddaughter, "and Gohan my lad, taking a break from crime fighting to visit are we?"

"Something like that," the halfling chuckled, clasping the man's hand with his own.

"Why don't you nip upstairs and put the kettle on petal?" Mister Lao asked his granddaughter, "I think its time I shut down shop and then you can tell me all about your day."

Ten minutes later and with three steaming mugs of tea in front of them, did the pair finish their tale of the dreaded Mister Shu.

"Well he does seem rather frightful doesn't he?" Mister Lao quipped, taking a sip of his tea.

"The horror starts next Monday," said Gohan in a dull tone.

"Well I must say it'll make school a little more interesting for you two," The old man chuckled, with a glint in his eye, "So have you thought of a way of how you're going to get him?"

Gohan exchanged a mischievous grin with Lime; Mister Lao may have been an old boy, but he was a sly dog when he wanted to be.

"Not yet," said Lime, "got any ideas gramps?"

"Well, I may have a few ideas left up my sleeve," he winked, "But don't let get them get you into too much trouble."

The fortnight quickly came and went, and still Gohan and Lime had had no luck in getting Shu to quit his job. His lessons were always endlessly boring, and poor Gohan found himself being picked on in every way possible. Just last week did he all but sneeze and receive a detention for 'disruption'.

Shu had fast learned that Lime was in cahoots with the young saiyan and picked on her almost as badly; sending her to the Headmaster's office for 'fornicating in class', when all she did was brush Gohan's arm to ask him for a spare pencil.

Despite Mister Lao's help, the teenager's had failed to prank their teacher successfully. Shu always seemed to be one step ahead of them, and seemed to know every trick in the book. From a whoopee cushion on his seat to planting a racoon in his office; Shu had nipped it in the bud quicker than you could say super saiyan.

After another tiring and unsuccessful Monday, Gohan parted ways with Lime at the school gates before heading to Capsule Corporation. It was the week of the Charity Gala, and the young saiyan was due to try on the suit Bulma had picked out for him for the occasion.

Feeling like letting out a little pent up frustration, Gohan decided to fly the long way round to West City. Gathering speed and performing loop-de-loops in the air, the teenager found himself feeling a little better. Gohan loved flying, finding the breeze that whipped through his hair cool and soothing, even in the summer sun. June was now upon them, and with it brought a heat that made Gohan discard his school tie half way through his flight and stuff his blazer in his rucksack.

Another round of somersaults later, and the halfling suddenly stopped mid-air as a barrage of whirring sirens reached his ears. Looking down curiously, Gohan found that he was about two-hundred metres above Satan City; a growing metropolis that was now more heavily populated with tourists than locals.

Gohan had only visited a handful of times; mainly when the City was under its previous name, but had never given a thought as to the crime rate this far East. But by the looks of things, it wasn't exactly at it's lowest.

A loud crash shook the teen out of his thoughts; as a police car swerved and collided with a nearby building. Glass and debris covered the pavement, as a small fire set alight at the bonnet of the car; yet the police inside managed to escape.

Gohan couldn't believe his eyes as he followed the chase down the dual carriageway; more than fifty police cars screeched after a hefty white van with what looked like several thugs inside. Another police vehicle attempted to cut them off; yet the van sped through over the other side of the road, causing a rapid built up of terrified motorists that slammed to a halt to avoid them.

A helicopter chugged and whirred overhead, sporting a news channel logo and capturing the scene unfolding below. Another explosion filled the air, as two more cars swerved to avoid the thugs and crashed into each other.

They were speeding further into the city, and Gohan instinctively followed, pressing the small button on his wrist watch and transforming simultaneously. Golden hair flanked his visor and black and blue bodice, his golden aura streaking after him as he hurtled past another helicopter that seemed to suddenly appear above him. The teenager hadn't given a second thought to the bright yellow jet with a bold insignia of _'SATAN'_ polished on its bodice. That is until he heard a loud; "Alright Sarge, I'm going in!"

Gohan couldn't believe his eyes when a girl dropped from the sky. Literally dropped.

By this point, it was at least a twenty foot fall, and the girl; who looked to be around his age, jumped from her helicopter to the ground below.

He called out in desperation, made to make a grab for her; when her boots effortlessly clanged on the roof of the speeding van.

"Woah…" was all Gohan could muster, as he watched her balance perfectly on top of the vehicle, the thugs having not noticed their extra passenger.

She was, the young saiyan noticed, extremely pretty; with mid-length ebony hair tied into low pigtails and startling sapphire eyes. She wore tight spandex shorts which showed off her strong thighs, and a baggy white t-shirt over her torso. Gohan could just make out an Orange Star High School badge attached to the bottom of her shirt, and noticed that she sported black fingerless gloves that he was positive were weighted.

Gohan's mouth ran dry when he saw the fierce look of determination on her face; and with a low, fearless growl did she flip herself over the roof and use her boots to break the windscreen and launch herself into the van.

In seconds, did the loud screech of tires fill the air and the goon's getaway begin to lurch and skid all over the road. The wheels began to tip and turn, and Gohan couldn't see any evidence that the girl was safe. The van was about to flip over, and would most likely cause the girl grievous injury. She may have been brave and a little bit mental, but she wasn't so indestructible that she could survive an accident like that.

Making a snap decision, the young saiyan sprang into action. Loud screams filled the air, as the vehicle span and flipped; then stopped.

Gohan grinned as he held the van upside down with one hand, both the girl and thugs; of which of the gang he was surprised to find were already beaten or unconscious, looked towards him with flabbergasted expressions.

"Hi there," said Gohan, using his free hand to wave at the girl, "Thought you could use some help."

She stared at him for a moment, until she shrieked so loud he almost dropped them, "YOU!"

"Erm, me?" he asked, confused as to her sudden reproachfulness.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she seethed, her cheeks reddening in anger.

Gohan frowned, "I'm helping?"

"No you're not!" she growled.

"I'm not?" he repeated, taken aback.

"No!" she cried, "You're not supposed to be here! I can take care of this city myself!"

The young saiyan blinked, completely dumbfounded until a loud crackle penetrated the air.

 _"Miss Videl! Is everything alright?"_ came a worried voice from her wrist.

Videl sighed heavily, before speaking into her own watch, "Everything's fine Sarge, I've got it under control."

There was a short pause before it crackled again, _"Are you quite sure Videl?"_

"Yes, I'm sure," she stated, glaring at the halfling.

 _"Well, its just that… forgive me Videl, me and the boy's have noticed that The Gold Fighter appears to be suspending you in mid-air… along with the culprits…and the stolen weaponry…"_

"I've noticed!" the girl snapped, causing the communication device to screech. She winced after a second, regaining her composure, "Sorry Sarge; yes, I'm currently interrogating The Gold Fighter as we speak, and this half of The Red Shark Gang won't be getting away anytime soon."

" _Thanks Videl_ ," The Sargent coughed, " _We'll be on stand by._ "

Videl sighed heavily, before rounding on the young saiyan. "Look, Mister… Gold Fighter…," she started sternly, "I'm going to have to ask you to step away from the scene, these are police matters and you aren't qualified."

"Oh and you are?" Gohan snorted, suddenly offended, "You've got to be what? Fifteen?" _And a somewhat normal human_ he added in his head.

"I'm sixteen in a few months _actually_ ," she retorted, "What's it to you?"

"Oh I don't know," he replied ambiguously, "Thought it would be nice to know a little something about the girl who's LIFE I just saved."

Videl scoffed, her cheeks now crimson, "You didn't save anyone, I was doing perfectly fine before you stuck your big nose in!"

Gohan blinked, just as a feeble voice of one of the gang called out from the back of the van, "Give 'im a little credit miss, 'e did stop us from havin' a big wobble back there and goin' all topsy turbey…"

"Shut it!" Videl growled, and a sudden loud bang told Gohan that the thug had fallen unconscious.

"Listen here _Gold Fighter_ ," she continued, her sapphire eyes narrowed, "I don't know who you think you are but you've got a right nerve showing up here!"

"I have?" Gohan mustered.

"Yes!" she cried, looking completely beside herself, "I've seen you on the news, and not only are you a _complete_ idiot, your notoriously reckless and should be branded as a criminal. Being a vigilante is an offence, not a privilege!"

"Well at least you don't think I'm a superhero…" he mumbled.

"What was that?" she snapped.

Gohan was fuming, who did this girl think she was talking to him like that? She was so _rude._ "I said, maybe you'd like me to put you down now, you crackpot?!" He yelled back.

"Crackpot?!" Videl seethed, grasping onto the edge of the window frame to leaning towards him, "You're the one whose completely bonkers! Incase you haven't noticed this was supposed to be a quick escape! In the time you've wasted showing off your stupid muscles, I could have figured out how to deactivate the grenades in the back of the bloody boot!"

"Well I-!" Gohan started, until realisation dawned upon him; "Wait, what did you just say?"

Both teenager's eyes widened to the size of saucers, before they both leapt into action. Gohan rested the van down as quickly and as gently as he could before helping Videl haul the gang out of the passenger side and to the awaiting officers.

"Where the in the bloody hells are you going?" she cried, as Gohan ran back to launch the van into the air to avoid any damage to the city.

The halfling ignored her, and had just reached the ticking time bomb when he felt Videl grab onto him; "Come on stupid! You'll get killed!"

"Videl!" Gohan gasped, "Get back it might-"

 **BOOM.**

Luckily for the teenager's, the explosion was fairly small; and only disintegrated the van and the tarmac surrounding it. However, it did push them back a few feet, and Gohan had instinctively covered Videl with his body, slamming them to the ground with a sickening thud.

By now, a large crowd had built around the scene, and news reporters from seemingly every channel had turned up to film the intense chase.

"Ow, shit!" Videl growled from beneath him.

Gohan got up, scanning her for injuries but miraculously found she had all but scraped her elbow. "Are you alright?" he asked, offering a hand to help her up.

She started at his palm, before forcibly slapping it away and clambering up herself.

"What is your problem?!" Gohan fumed, glaring at her through his visor.

Videl gaped at him, "My problem? My problem is that you nearly got us both killed!"

"Hang on, I didn't ask you to come running after me!" he growled, "The least you could do is thank me for saving your life, AGAIN."

"I'll do no such thing!" She yelled back.

Giving up, Gohan chuckled darkly. "Fine, whatever," he mused before preparing to take off.

"Stop right where you are!"

Gohan sighed, turning towards the stubborn girl, "What now?"

"You, _Gold Fighter_ ," she said smugly, "Are under arrest."

The young saiyan stared at her, before doubling over with laughter.

"Stop it! I'm serious!" Videl cried furiously.

"Really?" Gohan laughed, "and who am I being arrested by huh? The pigtail police?"

He didn't think the girl could get any angrier, as he clutched his aching sides.

"The Satan City police is arresting you, you prat," she growled, " _I_ work for them."

"What, fit that around your homework do you?" he jousted, struggling to compose himself.

"As a matter of fact I do," she grinned maliciously, "and I won't stop until I get you unmasked and behind bars. The damage you've caused to other cities won't go unpunished; especially the catastrophe you've caused in _my_ city."

" _Your_ city?" Gohan scoffed, "I don't see your name up in great big shining lights everywhere."

The halfling was both surprised and confused when her smug grin didn't waver.

"Mine might not be," she mused, "But my father's is."

Gohan blinked, as a large poster of Hercule Satan's beaming face caught the corner of his eye.

" _Welcome to Satan City!"_ It read, _"Home of the World Saviour!"_

Then, it clicked. The ' _SATAN'_ logo plastered across the jet she jumped out of, her fierce devotion to the City; it made complete sense that she would be in leagues with the police force, she was of course, the golden girl of Satan City. That, and it was obvious to Gohan from her performance that she had trained herself into the ground since she was able; he would bet any amount of money that she was stronger than her father.

Her father; Hercule Satan.

Gohan shook his head in disbelief; she was Videl Satan, Mister Satan's daughter.

The notion that Mister Satan could even find someone to procreate with barely crossed his mind when he thought of just how unalike they looked. But it was more than obvious to the young saiyan that she had inherited her father's ego.

"I see you've realised just who you're dealing with," said Videl, moving closer to him, "If I were you, I'd give in now, take off that silly visor and save us all the trouble."

Gohan snorted, as the girl signalled for her officers to cover her; most likely to arrest him. Seeing what was about to happen, a string of reporters leapt forwards into the now closed off road; sticking their camera's and microphones into Gohan's face.

"Mister Gold Fighter!" An excitable young reporter cried, shaking with anticipation, "Police force's across the nation have failed to question you, and humble journalists like ourselves have never come this close to an interview. How does it make you feel that the one and only, Videl Satan, has managed to not only achieve this; but come to make an arrest on you in the greatest city on Earth?!"

The young saiyan was slightly taken aback by the amount of camera's that flashed at his visor. Nevertheless, Gohan thought for a moment, before a wicked grin graced his lips. "Well quite honestly… er…?"

"Gregg sir, Gregg Turpin of Satan City news!" The man positively gushed at being addressed by The Gold Fighter.

"Well Gregg," Gohan continued, "I must say its been quite the privilege fighting alongside Miss Satan today. It was only a matter of time before she caught me."

"Well that is _fascinating_ to know," said Gregg, "But I think what our viewers really want to know is why you've been helping fight crime these past few years, and how you can do the things you do! Is it like our saviour insists, some sort of trick? I mean, it's extraordinary!"

The halfling chuckled, "Honestly Gregg you flatter me, but I think you should be asking Videl here those questions."

Gregg blinked, and Videl gave him a quizzical stare.

"Her skills are truly astonishing," pressed Gohan, "Really, I never knew a girl with such a big head could fit through a window of that size."

The crowd surrounding him gasped, as The Gold Fighter gestured to the smouldering vehicle behind him. He flashed a livid Videl a winning smile, before turning back to the camera; "So, now that you lot have threatened me, and I've insulted you, I guess I should be going. To be honest with you, I've had enough Satan for today; and I think your polluted jungle of a city is bad for my hair."

Shaking his head free of soot to prove his point, Gohan purposely powered up a little too much so that when he blasted off the crowd below him landed flat on their backsides. Grinning to himself, the young saiyan streaked through the sky; the irate shrieks of Videl Satan calling after him.

 _"An exclusive interview with The Gold Fighter took place this afternoon in Satan City…"_

 _"…police are inquiring about his whereabouts…"_

 _"More damage caused to the streets, curtesy of The Gold Fighter…"_

 _"…insulting remarks were made concerning Satan City's Golden Girl…"_

 _"Mister Satan speaks out; a delinquent and a trickster…"_

 _"Vigilante behaviour warrants arrest…"_

 _"Is there love brewing between our two favourite teenage superhero's? Find out tonight on 'An Audience With'-!"_

"Well Gohan, I hope you're proud of yourself; you're now a wanted criminal," stated Bulma, after she had finished flicking through the channels.

The young saiyan gave her a sheepish smile as she placed the remote back down on the coffee table.

It was all but a couple of hours later, and Gohan's recent appearance as The Gold Fighter had hit the world by storm. In hindsight, the teenager realised he should have just flew away; but he was so angry he couldn't help but insult about everyone and everything in Satan City, including the irritating Videl Satan.

It didn't take long for news reports to spring up on every channel, and Bulma's phone was ringing off the hook; mainly from the Z-Fighter's asking if she'd seen it. Gohan had yet to hear from his mother, and was positive he'd get a thorough tongue lashing when he returned home.

For now though, the halfling was busy having his suit fitted by Mrs. Briefs, whilst Bulma waddled up and down the room surveying her handiwork. He was stood upright on one of the footstools, being scolded every now and then for not standing still; and had already had a couple of needles jabbed into him.

"Honestly Bulma you should have seen this place," said Gohan, as Mrs. Briefs measured his calves, "And I'd never seen a car chase like it! Those gangsters had grenades! It was mental."

"Forgive me for saying kiddo, but you've got to get out more," Bulma stated, moving closer and adjusting his shirt collar, "Don't you watch the news? Satan City's got one of the fastest growing crime rates in the world, which is crazy when you think it Hercule's hometown."

Gohan scoffed, "Yeah, like he'd ever think of doing anything and getting off his big hairy - OW!"

"Oops, sorry sweetheart," Mrs. Briefs called, needle in hand, "But you need to stop moving!"

Bulma chuckled as the teen pouted, struggling to stay still, "Seriously though Gohan, maybe The Gold Fighter should appear in Satan City more often, it wouldn't hurt to help them out, and you cant keep avoiding the place forever."

The teenager pulled a disgusted face, "And work with Videl Satan? No thanks - Ow!"

"Well that's just something you'll have to get over," she mused, "it's only a girl kid."

"Yeah, a really - ow - annoying one - ow!"

"Gohan darling," Mrs. Briefs huffed, "you need to-"

"Stop moving," he sighed, "I know, sorry."

"Think of it this way," said Bulma, "if you fight more crime in Satan City and do it _without_ breaking anything, you'll be seen as a hero and the media will love you."

"I don't care about that," he argued, "I just want to-"

"Help people," Bulma finished, "I know. But your not going to do anyone any help being hunted down every time you transform. And I didn't work damn hard on that suit for it to be strung up in a police cell either."

Gohan bit his lip, defeated, "I suppose you're right. Fine, I'll go look after the stupid city."

"That's more like it!" she beamed, causing the teenager to roll his eyes.

"And speaking of," Mrs. Briefs chimed, stepping back and admiring her work, "I think were all done here!"

"Ooh Mum, he looks fabulous!" cried Bulma, her blue eyes glinting with emotion.

"We're done?" asked Gohan feebly, "Are you sure? Because this feels really _really_ tight."

"Oh don't be silly darling," waved Bulma's mother, her curly blonde hair bouncing, "It's all the range now, trust me."

"Yeah Gohan, it's about time you showed some more of that muscle outside of your alter ego," Bulma winked.

The teenager blushed, as the two females continued to swoon.

"He looks so handsome! He'll have all the girls _begging_ to dance with him!" Mrs. Briefs exclaimed.

"Yep, he'll have Videl Satan fawning over him in no time!"

"You've got to be _joking_!" Gohan spluttered, he couldn't think of anything worse, "She's the most insufferable girl I've ever met!"

"Aww," Bulma whined in disappointment, "But you both looked so cosy strewn over the ground, with broken bits of glass and that fire burning behind you from the car bomb."

Mrs. Briefs sniffed, "It was like the beginning of a real life love story."

"In what world does a love story involve explosions, broken glass, fire and injuries?" Gohan gaped, before it dawned on him, "Wait, don't answer that."

Bulma chuckled, placing a hand on her hip; "So if not Videl then who else? Ah! Whose that school friend of your's that Chi-Chi keeps mentioning… Lime is it? Do you think Lime will like your suit Gohan?"

"Well it certainly shows off that perky little bottom of his!" Mrs. Briefs cooed, causing them both to burst into hysterics.

"Well… this has been traumatising," Gohan pondered aloud before addressing them, "Thanks for the suit Mrs. Briefs, I'll see you on Friday Bulma."

With that, he abruptly left the complex with his new suit in his bag and laughter ringing in his ears; his cheeks burning a bright shade of crimson all the way home.


	5. The Gold Fighter

**Chapter Four**

 **The Gold Fighter**

The rest of the week had sped by, and soon the morning of the charity ball was upon him. Gohan had eventually given in to his brother's relentless wake up call, and once he was dressed, headed sluggishly downstairs to have a decent breakfast.

Entering the warm kitchen with a huge yawn, the teenager found that Goten was already devouring his share of bacon and eggs, the sound of chomping and slurping filling the room. His mother tutted as she placed Gohan's share on the table, before wiping the young boy's sticky face with her apron.

"Honestly," she mused to herself with a shake of her head, "Just like your father."

Chi-Chi was always full of complements for the young boy, even when he was making a great mess of the kitchen table. Although the head-strong woman had an enormous amount of love for both her children, Gohan couldn't help but feel as though his outcome was a disappointment for her. While he mostly did as he was told as a child, the young saiyan was starting to find his own path; which was steadily veering off the one his mother had set out for him.

Despite this, she had taken a more relaxed approach to Goten's upbringing. She let him watch cartoons and eat sweets, and seemed to turn a blind eye when he would accidentally break something due to his saiyan strength. Something that Gohan never got away with. Just a few months ago did he catch her in the back garden with Goten, teaching him the correct way to hold a fighting stance.

Gohan wasn't stupid, and knew that she was giving him a few martial arts lessons around his usual studying. Like the teenager, Chi-Chi had started schooling Goten as soon as he learned to talk, and he never had thought he would see the day when his mother would don her old fighting gi and make Goten perform simple combo's up and down the garden.

He concluded that it was the absence of his father that had caused this odd behaviour, although he never voiced his opinion out loud. Their little house by the forest hadn't changed that much in four years. The cream coloured walls still bore photographs of time gone by, with only a few new additions appearing on the mantle piece since Goten's birth. Furniture had not been replaced or added to, and the kitchen still had four chairs, even though one was always empty. His father's clothes still remained in the wardrobe, and his training boots, that used to look so big to Gohan, lay dusty and unused by the front door.

It was as if his mother expected her husband to come waltzing back into the kitchen, with a cheery smile and an empty stomach, apologising for being late. But Gohan knew that day would never come, and with each passing year the reality of his father's death set in even deeper.

The teenager couldn't help but think that his mother was trying to fill a gap with Goten, he was, so much like their father after all. He didn't blame her, he could never fill his father's shoes.

"Gohan don't just stand there gawking in the doorway," Chi-Chi scolded, catching sight of him, "Your food's getting cold."

The young saiyan slipped into the seat opposite his brother, who was too busy wolfing down his breakfast to acknowledge him. Gohan sighed as he stared at the mountain of food in front of him, and suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore.

"Whatever is the matter?" his mother frowned, looking the sulking teenager up and down before nestling herself in between her boys with her bowl of cereal.

"Nothing," Gohan lied, twirling his fork in between his fingers.

"Are you going to do superhero stuff today big bwother?" Goten interrupted excitedly, now that his plate was licked clean.

"Your brother has school today," Chi-Chi said sternly before he could reply, "And then he's going to go dancing with Auntie Bulma."

The young saiyan blinked in surprise, his mother seemed a lot calmer today. He had half expected her to start ranting at the mention of his alter ego. Over the course of the past few days, Gohan had come to notice that Chi-Chi had a rather large vein in her forehead, that would pulsate rapidly when the image of The Gold Fighter flashed across the television screen.

The media had not let up about his run in with Videl Satan, The Gold Fighter had been the highlight of every news report that week and Chi-Chi was positively furious. Although Gohan and the rest of the Z-Fighter's had to admit that the whole situation rather entertaining, his mother would flip between nagging at him and yelling at the television. Whatever they did, she still wouldn't have strangers spouting rude remarks about her babies.

"Dancing? What for?" his brother asked.

Chi-Chi sighed wistfully, "Gohan has to go dancing with all these important people to make a good impression sweetheart, they might help your brother get a very good job one day, or even a reference so that he can go to a top university!"

So that's why she's in a good mood, Gohan thought as he rolled his eyes. Trust his mother to skip over the fact that he was branded a criminal in favour of daydreaming about his future employment.

"That sounds boring," Goten blurted, but their mother wasn't listening.

"Imagine that," Chi-Chi gushed, "My little boy in cahoots with the biggest intellectual minds in the world! Oh Gohan, I can just picture it now, you'll have your doctorate in no time. That'll be the first in the family, until Goten that is."

"Huh?" said Goten, an enormous burp erupting from his chest.

Her nose wrinkled slightly, as she patted the young boy on the head.

"I think you're taking it a bit far Mum," Gohan mustered, "I'm only there to accompany Bulma…"

"Nonsense Gohan, these people are in a completely different class," said Chi-Chi with a frown, "It's important to make a good first impression now for them to remember you, it can work wonders you know. Just think of what you could achieve if you make the effort - which is why there will be _no_ Gold Fighter appearances today, you simply can't be late young man."

The teenager sighed, his mother was right, Bulma would kill him if he got caught up in another media frenzied mess before the ball.

"And another thing," Chi-Chi continued, "Please try not to get a detention from Mister Shu today, you'll need enough time to come home and pick up your suit before heading to Bulma's."

"Like I can promise that," he grumbled, causing his mother to shoot him a look.

"You can _behave_ for goodness sake Gohan," she said, "really, I don't know whats gotten into you lately."

"He's pure evil Mum!" Gohan protested, "Whether I behave or not doesn't make a difference, he constantly picks on Lime and me."

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes, "Honestly young man stop exaggerating, I'm sure he's gotten over our little spat by now."

"Little spat?!" he guffawed, "You threw him out of my bedroom window!"

"The window was open dear," she dismissed, "I didn't do him any serious harm."

"Just to his pride," said Gohan, resting his chin on his hand moodily.

"Wow Mummy!" Goten gasped, looking towards their mother in a new found awe, "Did you rweally do that to the bad man?!"

A faint tinge of pink crept up her cheeks, "Well, I may have overreacted a little…"

"You think?" Gohan scoffed, "Now he hates me."

"Oh Gohan I'm sure it will all work out perfectly fine," said Chi-Chi, looking towards him in disapproval, "You and Lime just need to keep your heads down and work hard, then this little grudge of his will all be forgotten."

xxxx

If Mister Shu did have a 'little grudge' towards Gohan, then it was certainly the understatement of the century. The second lesson after lunch was when they would have to endure Shu for a full two hours before the glorious bell signalled for the end of the day. Five minutes in, and Gohan had already been scorned twice; the first, as he entered the room with his shirt untucked and the second for tapping his pen too loudly on the desk.

Gohan didn't think he could have so much loathing for a man that wasn't trying to blow up the planet. Mister Satan came as a close second, although his daughter was steadily catching him up. The young saiyan couldn't think of a worse way to spend a Friday afternoon, and the rest of his classmates seemed to share his opinion.

The sun poured unforgivingly through the window panes, causing the small classroom to be drenched in an unbearable heat, but Shu refused to open any of the windows, and would discourage any student that were brave enough to challenge him.

"It's so hot…" whispered Lime, stretching her arms out in front of her and resting her head on the desks cool surface next to him. However, she quickly retracted upright when Mister Shu's stern cough was directed towards her.

"What a complete arse," she huffed after he had turned away, "sat there with his fan whilst we're all melting."

Gohan averted his gaze to the tyrant of a teacher. Indeed, he was sat comfortably at his desk, flipping through notes whilst a portable fan whirred cool air in his direction. None of the fourth years dared to loosen their school ties, for want of not being subjected one of his medieval punishments. Just last week did he make a boy cry for making him stand holding two full buckets of water for ten minutes as punishment for not writing the date on top of his practice paper.

The young saiyan snarled at the memory, as he had to sit and watch, rendered completely helpless. He could have given the boy a small burst of borrowed ki, but couldn't come up with a way of how to explain how the kid would have suddenly regained his stamina. Mister Shu would have been suspicious and would have most likely punished the boy further.

"What's the matter with you today?" Lime asked, pulling her long hair up and tying it into a ponytail, "You seem quiet."

"Nothing," he replied, making sure Shu wasn't watching before averting his eyes from his work. This afternoon they were trawling through a heap of practice exams, which Gohan thought was completely pointless. Still, he had allowed the class to talk, if only it was to discuss the questions in front of them. "I'm just trying to stay out of trouble so I don't end up being late for Bulma's thing tonight."

"I didn't think that sentence existed in your vocabulary," Lime snorted, earning herself a glare from the halfling. The girl ignored him, instead abandoning her strawberry scented gel pen and smoothing her hands over her bare wrists, "I say sod the ball, you can help me prank the git for confiscating my bangles."

"Not today," Gohan urged, "Mum and Bulma will both murder me in my sleep if I end up missing half of it."

"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes dramatically, "Abandon your best friend and go party with the posh people, you might as well go ask that stuck up cow Videl Satan for a dance whilst your at it."

The young saiyan made a face, "Oh Kami, you don't think she'll be there do you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" teased Lime, "Mister Satan wouldn't pass up an opportunity to show off at a big charity event in front of a load of important rich people. I don't think anyone else but his daughter could stand to accompany him for that length of time. I feel sort of sorry for her actually."

"Please don't," said Gohan haughtily, he had already informed Lime on his encounter with the girl as The Gold Fighter, "Believe me she's just as pigheaded as her father."

She chuckled, nudging him in the ribs and nodding towards Shu, "Oh come on Gohan, you'd have so much more fun trying to figure out a way to make this bastard retire early."

"Sorry Lime," he smiled, "I already promised Bulma."

"But I feel so _naked_!" she cried dramatically, holding up her wrists in desperation.

"That's not a bad thing," Gohan couldn't help but say with a cheeky grin, earning himself a slap on the head with Lime's practice paper.

"Miss Lao!"

The teenager's winced, as Shu's voice bellowed across the room. "As much as it thrills me to see Mister Son getting what he deserves, may I remind you that violence in my class will not be tolerated - detention with me after school."

"But Sir-!" They both started, before Shu cut them off.

"Don't make me make it a double detention Miss Lao," He said snidely, addressing Gohan, "and you'll do well to keep quiet Son, before you receive the same."

Gohan snapped his mouth shut before he could retort. Fortunately, Lime gave him a look that indicated it was fine and the pair continued the lesson in silence.

The remainder of the afternoon trawled by, and in Gohan's readiness to escape , he had made it back home and picked up his freshly ironed suit in no time. He felt guilty for leaving Lime alone with Shu, but the girl had told him to stop fretting and go and enjoy the ball.

He was halfway to Bulma's, after changing and successfully avoiding his mother with a pair of scissors to his hair, when he received a text from the blue-haired heiress informing him that her hair appointment was running over. For want of avoiding running into Vegeta without Bulma present, Gohan made the quick decision to pay his favourite Namekian's a visit.

He had to fly over West City to get up to The Lookout, but the young saiyan didn't mind taking a quick detour, he had a little time to kill. Catching sight of the ancient Korin's Tower, Gohan gathered speed, hurtling up the vertical incline until he could make out the large domed bottom of The Lookout.

"Gohan!"

The sudden shout made him skid to a halt. The teenager looked below him curiously, where he could make out Korin and Yajirobe waving at him from the top of the tower.

"What's the rush kid? Can't stop to say hi to a couple of old friends?" asked Korin as he descended, floating opposite them as they hung over the railings.

"Sorry," Gohan smiled, "I was just going to say a quick hello to Piccolo and Dende before I went to Bulma's party."

"Typical," Yajirobe snorted, "No body ever comes to see us, and now your telling us there's a party that we're not invited to."

"It's not that kind of party," said the teen, holding his hands up defensively, "It's a ball for charity, Bulma's invited all the top engineering companies and their sponsor's."

"Sounds boring," Yajirobe stated, earning himself a glare from Korin.

"Well I must say Gohan you certainly look the part," said the old cat, looking him up and down, "a lot cleaner than your father used to look at your age I can tell you."

"Um, thanks?" said Gohan, causing Korin to grin.

"You're growing up well," he continued, "Although I must say its a shame to see you not keeping up your training, a power like yours gave me shivers."

The teenager instantly felt uncomfortable under the cat's wise stare, "Well, I've been a bit busy…"

"I've noticed," he replied knowingly.

Yajirobe laughed heartily, "I'm so glad we decided to get a TV up here, watching you as The Gold Fighter and all. Never known entertainment like it! Wonder what Goku would say if he knew his kid was wanted by every police force in the world?"

"I've er, got to go," Gohan blurted suddenly, as Korin thwacked the fat martial artist over the head with his wooden staff.

"Alright son don't be a stranger now," Korin called as the halfling lifted into the air. Gohan gave them a quick wave, not paying attention to his father's old friends as they started to bicker and sped towards The Lookout.

As his dress shoes tapped lightly upon the gleaming marble tiles, it didn't take long for the occupants of the temple to notice his presence.

"Gohan!" Dende cried, running towards him and giving him an enormous hug, "I thought I sensed you coming!"

The young saiyan returned the hug; having not seen his friend in a couple of months. Dende, now as tall as he, was a very busy guardian-in-training and thus Gohan didn't see his friend as much as he would have liked. Being Earth's guardian was extremely time consuming, and with Dende still learning the ways of Earth, Otherworld and everything in between, Mr. Popo was always on hand to help out; as was Piccolo, who was currently stalking up the path to the babbling boys.

"Calm down the both of you," he growled as he approached, "Is this anyway to behave in a sacred place?"

Gohan stopped bouncing up and down, whilst Dende hung his head in shame.

"Aw, Mister Piccolo," Gohan said wickedly, "You don't have to jealous, it was your turn next!"

"Gohan…" Piccolo warned, before he was pounced on by the half-saiyan.

The teen wrapped his arms tightly around his mentor's middle, whilst Dende roared with laughter. "Mmm, so cuddly!" Gohan sighed blissfully, "Get in on this Dende!"

The young Namekian made a start forwards, before he was stopped in his tracks with a firm glare from Piccolo. "Don't even think about it," he growled, turning his attention to the halfling, "Get _off_ Gohan, before I really start to get angry."

Sensing his mentor's ki beginning to fluctuate, Gohan released him, smirking up at his purple tinged cheeks. "What? I missed you!" he laughed, as Piccolo's eyes looked towards him in fury.

He scoffed, turning his attention to Dende, "And you, what do you mean you _thought_ it was Gohan coming up The Lookout? It could have been an enemy, you weren't looking."

Dende looked severely upset, "Well -"

"Oh come off it Piccolo," Gohan cut across him in a bored manner, "If it was an enemy they would have hidden their Ki before attacking with a power level like your's on top of here, Dende wouldn't have sensed anyone coming."

Both Namekian's stared, dumfounded, until Piccolo's lips broke into a smirk, "At least one of you listens to my teachings."

"Sorry Dende, looks like I just won star pupil," Gohan winked, nudging his friend in the ribs.

"Shut up Gohan."

"Are you going somewhere?" Piccolo interrupted suddenly, taking in his appearance.

Gohan's suit was from some famous designer in the Capital whose name he couldn't pronounce. Although he had to admit, despite the initial tightness, he liked it. It was a midnight blue colour, with a crisp white shirt underneath. Bulma had suggested for him not to wear a tie, and that just leaving the first couple of buttons undone at the collar would make him look very sophisticated. The teenager did feel very smart, especially with his brown brogues instead of boots or converse. The suit was tailored so that it pinched in at the waist, showing off his muscular torso. The trousers were a skinny fit, that Gohan liked, and he even took the time to brush his hair so that it neatly tucked into a ponytail; yet he had had no luck in taming the spikey mass at the front.

"Sounds thrilling," Piccolo smirked when Gohan had explained his plans for the night. "Let's hope you can stay clear of Mister Satan."

"Yeah," the teenager replied haughtily, "Then all I've got to do is worry about his nutcase daughter and securing a place at university or something before the night is over."

"You certainly know how to keep life entertaining," Dende chuckled before grasping onto his shoulder, "speaking of, how's that arm of yours?"

Gohan groaned loudly, shrugging him off. Along with the emotional scarring that came with the end of the Cell Games, the young saiyan had inherited a physical scar. It was red and jagged, running from his left shoulder tip to wrist. Gohan hated it, as it was a constant reminder of his short-comings during the battle. He had received it when defending Vegeta from Cell's attack, and it would have healed, had Gohan had not put so much pressure on his body during his Kamehameha battle with the monster. The limb was incredibly twisted and broken, the bone sticking right through the muscle and piercing his ligaments and tendons. Dende had worked solidly for months trying to restore it, and although his arm was fixed, the scarring was too deep to heal. Lime had even suggested he get some tattoos to cover it up, but he knew his mother would hit the roof if he did anything else to his body without her consent.

"Gohan," Dende frowned, "I told you that you still need to come back for healing every few months, and here was me thinking you'd come here to get it sorted."

"Aw, I wouldn't come here just to use you Dende," said Gohan, offering him a winning smile. But Dende didn't budge.

"Don't make me get Mr. Popo to throw you in the Pendulum room again," he said in a threatening tone.

"Mr. Piccolo?" Gohan pleaded, but his mentor all but glared at him.

"If you're going you run around recklessly as The Gold Fighter without continuing any real training, the least you can do is make sure you aren't hindered by anything else," he stated.

"Fine," The teenager pouted, "It's just not nice when it stings."

"Sorry Gohan," Dende smiled, urging him to take a seat before a soft glow escaped his hands.

It was warm at first, like always, almost soothing in fact. But then several seconds later he felt his muscles begin to burn, built up scar tissue and worn tendons began to mend on the inside, sending shooting pains all the way down to his fingertips.

Gohan began to feel dizzy, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth did he hear Dende whisper, "Almost over."

And then it was. The pain left him and was replaced with pins and needles down his left arm, it was an odd sensation, but one he had gradually got used to. The first few times he was in absolute agony and had to get Piccolo and Mr. Popo to pin him down for Dende to heal him.

"See, that wasn't so bad now was it?" said Dende, smiling at him.

"Speak for yourself," Gohan grumbled, clambering to his feet and dusting himself off. After rolling his shoulder back and forth a few times, the teenager sighed, "Well I suppose I should get going, Bulma's probably back and flapping wondering where I am."

After thanking Dende and bidding the two Namekian's goodbye, the young saiyan headed over to Capsule Corp. where true to form Bulma nearly chewed his ear off when she saw him. That was of course, before bursting into tears and exclaiming how handsome and gown up he looked. Pregnancy hormones…

Gohan was relieved to find she had composed herself by the time they got to Satan City, where the charity gala ball would be held. One of the most expensive hotels in the city had catered for the event, and their large extravagant function rooms had been hired out. Gohan was simply bowled over at the grandeur of it all.

Glistening crystal chandeliers hung above their heads, the room was just as wide as it was long, and a huge wooden dance floor was set in front of a proscenium arched stage, where a smartly dressed swing band played. His attention was immediately drawn to the buffet table, that was covered in high class delicacies such as caviar, lobster and various wild fruits. In the centre, of course, was an ice sculpture in the form of Mister Satan. Gohan wondered aloud at just how the delicate structure was able to balance Hercule's enormous head upon it, which caused Bulma to cackle loudly and several people to sniff at them in disapproval.

Over an hour had passed and the hundreds of guests were packed into the large ballroom, but Gohan had yet to spot Satan and his daughter. The grand hotel was situated in the middle of around ten acres of grounds on the outskirts of the city, and Gohan was absentmindedly looking out of one of the delicately paned windows when someone clapped him hard on the back.

It was way too hard for a normal human, especially seen as he had nearly split his glass of cola all over himself. He choked, spinning around on his heel only to meet the cheery eyes of -

"Yamcha?" Gohan gaped, "What are you doing here?"

Yamcha laughed, tugging on his cream two-pieced suit, "Don't look so surprised kid, its not that hard to believe that a successful baseball star like me is on _every_ guest list."

The young saiyan grinned in amusement, "Your manager made you come to represent the Titans didn't he?"

"Yeah, he's hoping to get us some more sponsors. But it's nice to pretend that I'm so famous that they _begged_ to have me here," The ex-bandit chuckled, winking at Gohan, "Then again it is getting a bit dull, glad to see you here Gohan."

"Likewise," he replied wholeheartedly. Gohan had done nothing but escort Bulma around for the past hour, with her leaning on his arm heavily when she was starting to get tired. He had met a few company executives, but either they were too old and doddery to care or two busy fawning over him for Bulma get in a good introduction. He could have sworn that the wife of one CEO had pinched his bum at one point.

"Really though kid," Yamcha continued, "we don't see enough of you anymore. I know Krillin and the other's miss you, but whenever they pop in your mum says your out."

"Well I am most of the time," Gohan said a little guilty, "School takes up a lot of my time-"

"So does being a superhero right?" Yamcha jested.

The teenager jumped, immediately smacking a hand over his friends mouth, his eyes darting around him. "Shh!" Gohan growled, "Do you _want_ people to hear?!"

He laughed as the halfling removed his hand, "Oh relax Gohan, no one's listening."

The young saiyan scowled.

"Don't look at me like that," said Yamcha, "I'm not going to tease you."

"You're not?" Gohan said disbelievingly.

"Honest," he smiled, clapping his hand on his shoulder, "I think your doing a good thing you know;,even if the rest of the world isn't ready for a Gold Fighter. Your dad would be proud of you."

Gohan blinked, the sincerity in Yamcha's words couldn't be missed, yet what Yajirobe said earlier still played on his mind.

"He would?" he asked.

Yamcha looked taken a back, "Of course he would! What would make you think he wouldn't be?"

Gohan opened his mouth to reply when he heard someone call his name.

"Gohan!"

The two males spun around to see Bulma walking with purpose towards them, flanked by important looking businessmen in pristine looking attire. Bulma, however, was absolutely glittering, she wore a shimmering golden gown that pooled at her feet. It was tight fitted at the bosom with a halter neck that was very revealing. The rest of the fabric draped tastefully over her growing baby bump, and she wore beautiful sparkling diamonds around her neck and ears. Her short hair was curled elegantly at the front and fitted back with bobby pins.

She smiled softly as she reached them, one hand resting on her belly and the other holding a champagne glass filled with orange juice. "Hello boys," said Bulma, a twinkle in her eye, she was obviously enjoying herself.

"Hi Bulma, you're looking well," said Yamcha.

"As are you," she replied politely.

Gohan looked back and forth between the two. It was weird to think that the pair used to be an item. Yamcha had always been a bit of a ladies man from what he had heard, but he couldn't help but think that Bulma settling down and having two children with a man who had inadvertently killed him once must have been hard on the poor bloke.

Kami his friends were weird.

"Gohan there's a few people I'd like to introduce you to," said Bulma, breaking the young saiyan out of his thoughts. There were five of them in total, each one the head of the largest companies in the world, bar Capsule Corporation.

"Splendid to meet you my boy," the man introduced as Seamus Bloom said as he took Gohan's hand and shook it, "Bulma here has told us a lot about you."

Another executive next to him, with kind eyes and greying hair smiled, "Such a pleasure, I must say though young man I did expect you to be a little older."

Gohan grinned sheepishly, as Bulma gave him a wink. He soon learned that these people were the driving forces behind the most pioneering scientific developments in recent history. Bloom, and the greying man Sebastian Salisbury headed renewable energy sources for the planet.

The others, a stout man with thick straw coloured hair was the inventor behind hover cars, and was its only supplier until Capsule Corp. outsold them. Jeremy Smithers, a tall framed man with a cheery grin and ginger hair was the CEO of Aero-Corp, a company that trained astronauts in high tech facilities. And the latter was a satellite expert with a strong link to West City's main university.

"Gohan here is the son of one of my oldest friends," Bulma informed, smiling proudly, "I'm just itching for him to finish school next year so I can really push that brain of his."

"Quite," the satellite man said, eyeing Gohan from behind his thick rimmed spectacles, "But like Sebastian said, isn't he a little young to be joining your ranks so soon?"

"Trust me this kid is a genius," she stated boldly before the young saiyan was discouraged, "Do you remember that nasty power surge we had a few years back? Knocked out our central controls cutting out complete access to our satellites. Nothing we tried would work, but Gohan here had it back up and running within the hour. Luckily he was over babysitting my son that night."

The group were listening intently, positively awestruck when she had finished.

"My word," said Jeremy, stepping forwards and clasping his hand, "That was you? How magnificent, we could certainly do with a brain like yours over at Areo-Corp. that's a given, absolute nightmare when one of our training rooms packs in."

"Well, I could always come over and have a look Sir," Gohan politely replied.

The group around him chuckled.

"He says it as if he's nipping round for a cup of tea!" Bloom chortled, looking at the teen fondly.

"Excellent stuff," said Sebastian, turning to him, "I'd love to hear your thoughts on the price of renewable energy my boy."

"Sorry Sir, but I'm afraid I'm more of a lover for engineering and mechanics," said the halfling.

"Well that's a shame," he replied, still smiling, "I must say I envy you Bulma."

She laughed him off, although she couldn't hide her smug grin.

Gohan couldn't help but smile too. It was refreshing to talk about something other than the Cell Games, his father or The Gold Fighter, these people were interested in him, as a normal person; as Son Gohan the smart kid, not Son Gohan the delinquent, father deprived teenager.

The atmosphere was relaxing, and he found he was in his element as Yamcha offered to join the conversation and buy everyone a round. It seemed that the rich CEO's were big fans of the Titans. As Gohan sipped on his fresh cola, he noticed a rather disgruntled old fellow heading towards them. He was fat and balding, the buttons on his waistcoat practically bursting under the strain of his oversized stomach. Every finger was adorned with a jewel embellished ring, as if he was trying to show off his wealth.

As the small group noticed him, each one of them seemed to tense. Bulma looked towards him, pursing her lips as he approached.

"Miss Bulma," the man said in a smooth tone, taking her hand and kissing it, "How radiant you look this evening."

Gohan silently thanked his stars that Vegeta wasn't here, as if the hot tempered prince had caught the exchange, the man would currently be surprised to find that he was missing an arm.

"Stanley," Bulma said shortly, retracting her hand. "How _lovely_ to see you."

It took the teenager a few seconds to realise who he was, Stanley Coyne, the chief executive of Capsule Corp.'s rival company. His business, Mechacorp. developed military arms along with other gadgets and had recently appeared on the news as King Furry's army's main supplier. Bulma, when Gohan had asked why Capsule Corp. hadn't competed for the deal, she had merely shrugged, ' _why build weapons of mass destruction to protect the planet when I have you lot?_ '

Bulma and her father had never had any real intention or need for developing arms, but despite this, Stanley Coyne had been exceptionally smug about securing the deal before his rival, which was evident from the way he was smirking at Bulma now.

"Likewise, _gentlemen_ ," he added, acknowledging the other's before turning to Bulma, "I do hope that your not put off by our company's victory Miss Bulma, would be such a shame to put a dampener on this fantastic evening."

"Not at all," she smoothed, "Like I said in my emails, Capsule Corp. aren't in the business of weaponry. It isn't our style."

"Ah! So you say, so you say!" Coyne chortled, "No hard feelings though eh? Can't have bad blood between the two most pioneering companies in the world now can we? Not with the anarchy of today."

"Whatever do you mean Stanley?" Jeremy frowned.

Coyne puffed out his cheeks angrily, "Why with people taking the law into their own hands my good man. Times are hard enough as it is, did you see the incident in Satan City just last week? Frightful stuff. It's why the King's recruited _my_ company you see, someone he can trust to ensure if anything were to go a-rye then we have the best equipment on hand to deal with it. The last man he entrusted with his supplies only went and sold them off to that Red Shark Gang. Word is their working under The Borbonne Family, it seems they're the ones who started whole mess. Every major gang is wanting in on whatever Borbonne's got to offer them. Money and weaponry is the only thing on their agenda. Of course not many people are fond of my business ventures, silly really, when people of _this_ city rely on the sheer guts of a mere girl to get the job done. If you ask me its time Mister Satan put his daughter on a leash."

"Dangerous business," he continued, twirling a finger in his long moustache, "only a matter of time before she winds up with a bullet in her pretty little head."

"How can you say such a thing Stan?" gasped Sebastian.

Gohan stared at the man, who all but took a large gulp from his whiskey glass. There was truth in what Coyne said, but that didn't stop the young saiyan from suppressing a shiver.

"Once one of them starts they all go at it you know, militia start springing up everywhere and before you know it you've got a right mess on your hands," boasted Coyne, smacking his lips, "Worst of all of them is that Gold Fighter, bloody trouble maker if you ask me."

The teenager was halfway through sipping his drink when he inhaled sharply, causing him to start having a coughing fit.

"I think you're over exaggerating there Stanley," Bulma quipped, as Yamcha started pounding the young saiyan on the back, "I honestly don't think The Gold Fighter is as bad as the media is making him out to be. People like him just want to help people like us."

"Oh?" Coyne pressed, his eyes widening at his rival, "So you're saying that Capsule Corporation supports anarchists like The Gold Fighter are you?"

"In a way, yes," said Bulma with a small smile, "It's obvious that you've noticed that the crime rate has suddenly increased. I think we should start allowing these individuals to make a difference in their own way, The Gold Fighter is just trying to make the world a better place to live in."

The large man scoffed, "You sound like you know him personally."

"Surely your joking Stan," Jeremy interjected, "You honestly expect Bulma Briefs of all people, to keep company with a wanted criminal?"

Coyne said nothing, instead, his gaze landed on the still struggling Gohan, as if only just noticing he and Yamcha were there. "Bulma, it seems you haven't introduced me to your new assistant."

"Oh Gohan here isn't my assistant Stanley," informed Bulma, "he's soon going to be working as one of our junior engineers, we were just talking about his opinion on our new propulsion system design before you arrived."

He eyed the teenager, "Ah, so you're an educated boy. Tell me, what's your opinion on this Gold Fighter business?"

The young saiyan frowned, feeling Yamcha's eyes burning into the back of his head. He studied Coyne for a moment, having decided not long into the conversation that he disliked the man. It was obvious the only reason he was addressing him was to ridicule Bulma's little protégée.

"Well I don't pretend to know a lot about The Gold Fighter," Gohan said cooly, the businessmen hanging onto his every word, "But I do think if anyone were going to stop him, then they would certainly need bigger guns than your's."

xxxx

"Bigger guns?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Bulma whispered angrily into his ear as they spun around the dance floor.

Gohan sighed, twirling her in time to the music before bringing her back close to him and placing his hand on her waist. "I held my tongue the entire time he was spouting absolute bollocks, be thankful I didn't say anything else."

Her eyes narrowed as they side stepped around a few more dancing couples, the young saiyan whirling her around when they reached a clearer space. In hindsight, he was surprised just how quickly his lessons had come back to him, martial arts had certainly helped the fluidity of his movements and he could see a couple of teenage girls giggling at him from the sidelines.

They had abruptly left the conversation with Coyne when Bulma made the sudden excuse of needing the loo and dragged him with her. Having no idea where Yamcha had disappeared to and with the swing band cranking up the volume, the halfling had no choice but to whisk Bulma around the dance floor. It seemed the majority of the guests had brought their dancing shoes, and soon the floor was almost completely full.

"He's not a person to be getting on the wrong side of kid," Bulma seethed through gritted teeth, "He'll take that as a challenge!"

"Oh please," Gohan scoffed as the music picked up, wrapping his forearm over her waist and spinning them both on the spot, "What's he going to do? Convince King Furry to set an army on me?"

As they circled to a halt, Bulma gave him a pointed look.

"Nothing bad is going to happen Bulma," he said, lowering his voice, "I'm The Gold Fighter alright? You lot worry too much."

Catching his hand in hers once more she rolled her eyes, "Honestly, for someone who says he try's to stay out of trouble, you really stick your foot in it kid."

The teenager laughed, dipping her low to the ground, causing several people around to 'ooh'. Gohan brought her up to standing again, twirling her as the music picked up tempo.

"Well at least you made a good impression with my business friends," she grinned, allowing him to lead, "When you do start working here, because believe me you will, you have to keep fellow associates close to you, otherwise competition gets too much and they go off on one like Coyne. They were very impressed by you I could tell."

"I'd like to think so," he smiled back, "But Mum still expects me to go to university and become a scholar. I don't want to study how to be an engineer Bulma, I want to be one!"

They spun again, "She'll come round honey, I'm sure of it."

Gohan sighed, willing himself not to think of his mother's interrogation he would receive in the morning as he whipped Bulma away from him in a fluid movement, then caught her right before she touched the ground.

"Woah Gohan," Bulma giggled, clutching her belly, "I think the baby felt that one then."

His immediate panic dissipating, the young saiyan allowed her to place his hand on her bump. "Wow, it's going mental," he exclaimed, the odd sensation of the baby kicking him causing him to smile. He wondered if Vegeta did this as his palm got attacked by a foot once more.

"Definitely Vegeta's kid in there," he chuckled.

"You're telling me," sighed Bulma, "Come on, let's go get a drink."

Gohan followed obediently, weaving in between dancing couples until he reached the edge of the dance floor. His dark eyes flickering around him, he realised he had lost Bulma in the process and was just about to search for her energy when he was startled by two pairs of eyes that seemed to materialise in front of him.

"Hi!" the girls chorused.

"Um, hello?" Gohan blinked, recognising them as the two who were ogling him and Bulma dancing earlier.

"You're a _really_ good dancer," the girl with short blonde hair exclaimed.

The other had bright red long hair, both of them looked to be his age. "Yeah, do you want to dance with us?"

The young saiyan looked around him, desperately hoping Bulma would come to save him soon, he could sense her and Yamcha a few feet away.

"I'm Erasa by the way," the blonde chirped, grinning at him madly, "and this is Angela."

"Hi!" she blurted, "What's your name?"

"Gohan," he said simply, causing them both to squeal.

"So can we dance with you? We can take it in turns!" Erasa beamed.

"Um," Gohan mustered, "I just need to find my friends -" he started, as his eyes caught sight of the pair in question. Bulma was giggling at his current predicament, whilst Yamcha got out his phone and took a picture, before giving him a thumbs up.

He sighed hopelessly, no doubt that photo would end up circulating the Z-Fighter's before tomorrow morning. Not that Gohan was against female attention, he actually found it rather flattering, he just didn't understand why some of them had to be so… _screechy._ Lime certainly wasn't that way inclined. In fact, he never really had any sort of problems with girls at school, as they quickly became intimidated by Lime's presence. Not that he minded, some girls were incredibly irritating, speaking of.

"Oh _there_ she is!" Erasa exclaimed suddenly, looking over his shoulder, "Videl! Over here!"

Gohan spun around at the name's mention, and nearly fell over laughing when he caught sight of her. Videl Satan was etching her way through the crowd towards them, her pigtails abandoned and curled into ringlets. She was stuffed into a bright pink ballgown, which was puffed out at the shoulders and made her look like a meringue. By the disgruntled look on her face he concluded that she had been forced into such a hideous outfit, her skirts catching on the backs of chairs and tables as she walked.

"Gohan, this is our friend Videl," Erasa stated proudly, "And get this, her Dad's the -"

"This is hell!" Videl fumed, cutting her off sharply as she ripped her dress from underneath someone's foot. "I don't understand why my Dad brought me here, and in this ridiculous dress!"

"It's not that bad Videl," Angela soothed, "Mister Satan invited us here too and besides, you look really pretty!"

The Satan girl scoffed, glaring at her friends before her inquisitive eyes landed on Gohan. As her annoying friends introduced him, the young saiyan felt as though he was being analysed. Those sapphire orbs were piercing, and he nearly lost his cool underneath her stare.

"Is something funny?" she growled at the goofish grin the young saiyan had on his face.

"Oh, no not at all," he grinned, desperately trying to keep himself from laughing, "I was just thinking of how lovely you look in that dress."

"See Vi! Everyone else likes it!" Erasa exclaimed happily.

Videl eyed him, unsure of whether he was joking or not. "Well, thanks I guess," she said warily, tearing her gaze away from him.

"So who are you here with Gohan?" asked Angela, "I've not seen you around before."

"Oh well -," he started, before he was abruptly interrupted by a booming voice that echoed through the hall.

"Videl! There you are, you missed the part where I was about to knock Spopovich out of the ring!"

Gohan wanted to crawl into a hole, as none other than Mister Satan approached them. Like his daughter, his attire was rather extravagant, with a frilly white dress shirt and a deep purple bow-tie. His sleeves were rolled up, displaying his enormous hairy arms and he had a scotch in hand. The teenager didn't realise just how tall the man was in person, and would have possibly been intimidated if he wasn't immensely stronger than him.

"I've heard it a hundred times Dad," stated Videl, causing Gohan to blink in surprise at her reproachful tone, "I just came to find my friends."

Mister Satan looked taken aback for a second, before throwing his head back in obnoxious laughter; "Well of course! You should have said Videl, I wouldn't have started the story without including your little friends here, would you like to hear it?" he finished, looking at the teenager's expectantly.

"Ooh yes please Mister Satan Sir!" Erasa gushed, "We always love hearing your old fighting stories!"

Gohan rolled his eyes, turning around and attempting to escape when a large hand clasped his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

"You there!" Mister Satan frowned at him, "I don't remember my little Videl mentioning she had any friends that were _boys_. That is, you are _just_ a friend aren't you?"

He opened his mouth to retort when Videl cut across him in a drawling tone, "I've never seen him before Dad."

"Yeah we met Gohan just now," informed Erasa.

"Gohan eh?" The hulking man studied the teen for a moment, "You look familiar."

The teenager started to sweat, just how good was Mister Satan's memory? And how would he recognise him? Last time he saw the man he was a beaten and bloodied super saiyan two, surely the man couldn't compare him to that, unless he had heard Cell shout his name.

To Gohan's surprise, Hercule broke out into a huge grin, "HA! Well I suppose when you've got as many fans as the Champ, they all start looking the same!"

The halfling breathed a sigh of relief as Mister Satan clapped him hard on the back, "Don't worry about it kid, my Videl knows the rules, no boyfriends unless they're strong enough to beat me in a fight!"

"But that's impossible Sir!" exclaimed Angela, "No one is stronger than you!"

"Well I suppose that _is_ true," chortled Hercule, his enormous hand still having not left the half-saiyan, "So kid, you got any posters for me to sign? A baby sibling you want me to kiss?"

Gohan stared, he was just as big of an idiot in person as he remembered.

"Whats the matter, never seen the Champ in person before?" Mister Satan laughed at the expression on Gohan's face. "Tell you what, you can even stay for the rest of the story and I'll make sure to get a picture with you afterwards huh?"

"Lucky me…" Gohan drawled, looking hopelessly at the spot where Bulma and Yamcha had disappeared.

"Dad, I don't think…" Videl started.

"Aha! You're right Videl! Absolutely right!" Mister Satan roared, drawing the attention of several people around them, "A simple story telling just won't do, I bet you've never seen the Champ in action off screen have you?"

"Can't say I've had the er, pleasure," said Gohan, thinking he should start some sort of tally to see just how many times Hercule referred to himself in third person.

"Well then its settled!" The large man beamed, "Caroni, Pirozhki!"

"Oh no really Sir," said Gohan, a feeling of dread coming over him, "You don't have to - "

It seemed that Mister Satan had gotten the entire halls attention by now, as his infamous students brought over a huge duffle bag that they struggled to dump in front of the Champ. Gohan couldn't help but snort as he recognised them both from the Cell Games, Caroni had even managed to get himself a new set of teeth.

"Ah thank you boys," Hercule grinned as the crowd gathered, the swing band had long since been silenced as the Champ prepared for his display and addressed the hall. "Hello honoured guests, fans and … ladies."

Beside him, he heard Videl scoff.

"So sorry to interrupt your evening, but it has come to my attention that this boy has been deprived of seeing any sort of real martial arts in action!"

Gohan wanted to crawl into a hole as Hercule pointed a hairy finger in his direction. Several onlookers gasped around him, looking horrified.

"Now the Champ loves his fans!" Satan continued, "And I won't just stand by whilst some kid isn't getting an education in the greatest art in the entire world!"

The crowd were lapping it up, as cheers and applause filled the hall. Mister Satan called out to him again as he started to stack up roof tile upon roof tile in front of him, but Gohan was too busy trying to keep himself from slapping the man in front of his possible future associates.

"Thirty-six tiles!" Caroni gasped, his wavy blond hair flowing about him, "Sensi, if you manage to break those it'll be a new record!"

"Don't worry about it Caroni," Hercule winked in Gohan's direction, "Something about this kid seems special, he could learn a thing or two."

As the cheers of the crowd diminished, and the room was engulfed in silence, Hercule inhaled a deep breath and began to hum, seemingly deep in mediation. All eyes were fixated on the Champ, except Gohan's, who currently looking above him, wondering if he could manage to hang himself from one of the chandeliers.

Gohan completely zoned out, relenting in the fact that he was stuck right in the middle of Mister Satan's arrogant showboating without the option of just switching off the television.

After what seemed like an age had passed, the oaf of a man still hadn't made any effort to break the tiles, and the young saiyan was getting increasingly bored. However, his boredom was short-lived when a sudden sense of unease came over him.

Tearing his gaze away from the ceiling, Gohan looked around him; but couldn't see any sign of anything untoward. But still, something didn't feel right, and as soon as he clasped eyes with Yamcha in the crowd, he new that he could feel it too.

When Gohan was about to mouth something to the ex-bandit, did his sensitive saiyan hearing detect a small shatter of glass from behind him. As he turned, he saw a silver canister roll across the room before tapping against his shoe. Gohan didn't have time to wrap his head around what was going on when the entire hall was engulfed in a shower of smoke.

He cursed loudly in between coughs, as the crowd was suddenly in uproar, loud screams reached his ears and several bangs and scrapes could be heard as people scurried around in a panic. Getting annoyed as he got knocked into for the fourth time, the young saiyan used a wave of energy to dissipate some of the smoke, just in time to hear a gunshot sound, and see the bullet hit the chain of one of the sparkling chandeliers.

As it was sent crashing to the floor, Gohan reacted in an instant, shielding Videl and her friends who were nearest to him as the crystal shattered, sending bits of glass flying everywhere. The young saiyan looked up, relieved to find that people had dodged out of the way before it had hit. But his relief didn't last long, as around twenty men donning black ski-masks smashed their way through the windows, each one wielding a gun in hand.

"Alright you slag's," shouted the leader of the gang over the irate crowd, "Get on the ground gis' us yeh jewels and money, and no one gets 'urt."

Several terrified people got to their hands and knees, yet the majority of the rooms occupant's were in utter pandemonium, scrambling over each other to reach the fire doors that had cleverly been barricaded from the outside.

The teenager gritted his teeth, attempting to single out Bulma's energy. He looked over and managed to spot her, and was relieved to find that she was being covered by Yamcha next to the bar. She was clutching her belly protectively, staring wide eyed at the masked men.

A strangled scream penetrated the air as the men opened fire without warning, "Let's shut 'em up!"

"NO!" Gohan cried, his heart beating faster as he spotted several casualties on the ground, he knew that most of them were critically injured, or worse. He gulped, his eyes darting about him, struggling to find an exit so he could transform.

"Makes our job easier doesn't it lads?," laughed one of the brutes, as the crowd began to whimper, the sound of gunshots dying down. People were injured and shaking, leaning up against each other with blood spattered across their most expensive attire.

"Richest people in the world gathered all together in one room? And their s'posed to be the smart ones!" A man circulating a rucksack for people to drop their wallets and purses into growled.

"Stop mucking about and hurry up," snarled the gang leader, pointing his weapon directly into the crowd, "Copper's will be here soon, and they'll be hell to pay if we get caught."

The brute shrugged, shaking the bag so that it's contents jingled.

Gohan bit his lip, he couldn't see anyway out without drawing attention to himself, people around him had started muttering in panic, and several had started crying. The leader growled, "Shut it! One wrong move and we'll blast yeh brains out!"

"I'd like to see you try!" one woman shouted out bravely, "I think you're forgetting that Mister Satan's here!"

At once, it seemed the rest of the crowd realised this too.

"Yeah Mister Satan will get you!"

"He's the greatest in the world!"

The champ, crouched low to the ground with everyone else began to sweat as the crowd started to chant, "Sa-tan! Sa-tan! Sa-tan! Sa-tan!"

Their chants soon became screams as the gang leader sneered, firing his rifle several times in the air, blasting holes in the ceiling. Debris rained down upon them, as white plasterboard rained from above. "If Mister Satan doesn't want tah be responsible for anyone else's death, 'e'll stay right where 'e is."

Gohan sighed, he needed to get out; if one more person tried to be a hero, he wasn't sure the gang would be so forgiving, they could wipe out the entire room.

"And who do you think you are giving out orders to _my_ father?!"

The young saiyan groaned, not this shit again.

"Videl honey!" Mister Satan panicked, pulling on his daughter's arm as she stood up in defiance, "It's too dangerous!"

"No Dad," Videl snarled, her eyes narrowing at the men; although they were clouded by tears. Her dress was torn at the shoulder and blood that was not her own was splattered across her face. "I'll not stand aside whilst these terrorists kill these innocent people. Not in our city!"

"Oh look it's Satan's little princess," one man snickered, "We ain't got time to play dollies, so why don't yeh be a good girl and sit quietly with everyone else."

"Fat chance!" growled Videl, "I'll go play with my dolls after I've arrested each and everyone of you!"

The men stared at her, before erupting into hysterics.

"You've got guts girly," the leader smirked, wiping a tear from his eye, "allow me to show 'em to yeh."

Gohan took his chance, as the gang was distracted by the Satan girl leaping in front of them. In a swift movement, she kicked the bag full of money from out of his accomplice's hands and dodged several bullets that came speeding her way. The young saiyan didn't have time to contemplate how she managed to move so freely in a dress like that, when he appeared at Yamcha's side. "I'll take care off this, get Bulma out of here if you can." He stated quickly, whipping his head over his shoulder to see Videl deliver an uppercut to one man's chin, knocking him out on impact.

"You sure you'll be alright?" asked Yamcha, his wide eyes darting to Videl, "I can step in if you need me too."

Gohan shook his head, "It's fine, just get Bulma to safety, it's nothing The Gold Fighter can't handle."

"Do your thing kid," Yamcha winked.

"Be careful!" whispered Bulma, her voice shaking fearfully.

Phasing out as quickly as he could, the young saiyan managed to slip outside undetected. Pressing the button on his watch, his suit was soon replaced with his black bodice, gloves and boots. Hearing more gunshots and screams from inside, Gohan hurtled around the back of the building, from where he could see Videl still fighting the brutes.

She may have been stronger than she looked, but there was too many of them for her to handle, and she could only dodge bullets for so long.

"Bleedin' little pest! Messin' wiv us!" The leader roared, firing up his trigger and aiming it at Videl, who was too busy delivering a spinning kick to another gang member's stomach for her to notice, "I'll make sure you regret it!"

Just as he was about to pull the trigger, a white hot ball of energy disintegrated the gun before his eyes. He gasped sharply, clutching his burning hand as a gust of wind filled the room, along with a bright golden glow.

"I-it's The Gold Fighter!" someone gasped, but Gohan didn't know if it was friend or foe that had made the exclamation.

Instead, the golden haired teenager stared down the quivering man from behind his visor. He smirked, his aura licking at his frame, "The only thing anyone's going to regret here is not packing an extra pair of underwear, because believe me, you're going to need them after I'm through with you."


	6. A Namekian's Request

_Hi everyone! Thank you so much for following this story so far! Apologies for the lateness, I have been in full on exam mode! Hopefully can whizz the next few chapters a lot quicker for you guys :) love to you all! Emerald xx_

 **Chapter Five**

 **A Namekian's Request**

xxxx

A tense silence had engulfed the entire room, every pair of eyes transfixed on The Gold Fighter; both in fear and in awe. Gohan's pulsating aura was the only sound to penetrate through the stillness, that is, until the gang leader overcame his shock and straightened up to address him.

"Well well well, look who it is lads," he proclaimed loudly, his voice echoing around the ballroom, "Satan City's most wanted!"

The goons that were still conscious roared with laughter around him.

"I'm not going to warn you again," said Gohan, "Drop your weapons and you'll get off lightly."

"You have no idea who you're up against kid, The Red Shark Gang have no mercy," The leader all but smirked, "Get him."

At once, the ten or so thugs pounced but Gohan effortlessly dodged them. One man caught him from behind, aiming his pistol at his head before the teenager reached behind him and crushed it with his hand. The masked member squeaked, as Gohan spun around on the spot; punching him lightly in the stomach so that he fell to the floor in a heap.

With his aura blazing, he jumped high into the air; causing a pair of brutes to crash into each other as he escaped. Gohan smirked from above, about to dive into the mass of criminals and finish the job when-

"GO HOME!"

The young saiyan screeched to a halt, nearly toppling out of the air in shock.

Sure enough Videl was glaring up at him from below, her hands placed on her hips in anger. "You heard me!" she yelled, "No one asked you to come here, mind your own business!"

"But I-" he started weakly.

"I can handle this one!" she growled, positively seething, "Take you and your stupid outfit somewhere else!"

Gohan gaped at her; surely she couldn't be serious.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" She continued, "Leave now before I arrest you too!"

His eyes narrowed from behind his visor, "You've got to be joking; how do you expect to beat these idiots _and_ save all these hostages? People are bleeding out here!"

"I'll figure out a way if you just _sod off_!" she yelled back.

"ENOUGH!" the Red Shark leader barked, "Lads shut these kids up for gods sake! Bloody teenagers."

Gohan didn't have time to react as a barrage of bullets careened towards him. He dived out of the way, causing them to embed into the brick wall behind him. He allowed himself to fall to the ground, his boot touching the floor to propel himself forwards and slug one of the Shark's so that he crashed into a table.

Next, the young saiyan caught another off guard; phasing in and out and chopping them in the back of the neck. With the rest of the brutes collapsing easily under his attacks; Gohan kicking their gun's away from them should they wake up before the fight was over.

"Oi Gold Fighter!" a shout came from behind him; he had somehow missed one.

"EAT THIS!" as small man cried, igniting the bazooka that was balanced on his shoulder.

Gohan smirked as the explosive hurtled towards him. The crowd screamed and cried out; but the young saiyan held out a hand, pushing out his ki and stopping it in it's tracks. His enemy's eyes widened to the size of saucers, as it floated back to him.

"Here, I believe this belongs to you," the halfling said, before it exploded in a shower of smoke.

The man was blown backwards, but not wounded badly. Gohan dusted his hands off smugly, before he heard a desperate shout behind him.

"Videl no!" Mister Satan exclaimed, standing up and running towards his daughter.

"I'd step down if I were you Satan," The Red Shark leader growled, staring the Champ down as he held Videl in a headlock.

Gohan's throat ran dry; he had been so busy with the others he failed to keep his eye on Videl. The Shark laughed manically as he gripped the girl tighter and Gohan was about to make a move when Videl elbowed the brute in the ribs. Hard.

The force was enough to get him to release Videl, but she didn't let up; instead, she jumped into the air, her foot colliding with the man's face and sending him crashing to the floor in a pitiful heap. Gohan's mouth fell open, he had never seen any girl fight like that other than Eighteen; as she was scientifically enhanced.

The occupants of the ballroom cheered, as police and ambulance siren's filled the air. The young halfling made out several police cars screeching to a halt outside the windows, when he caught Bulma and Yamcha waving frantically at him from the crowd.

Taking the hint, the teenager bolted out one of the caved in windows just as the Satan City Police Force filtered into the ballroom. He made outside just in time to hear Videl call after him, "Wait!" but didn't look back, instead he kicked off from the ground and into the night sky.

Circling above the city a few times, Gohan decided it best to hideout in the grounds of the hotel until the commotion had subsided. He hid behind one of the neatly trimmed hedges, hoping that the ambulance crews had managed to save the critically injured in time. He was just about to drop out of his super saiyan form head back in when something long and wet brushed across his face.

"Urgh!" Gohan jumped, as a large pale green eye appeared in front of him. "What the bloody hell are you two doing here?!" he demanded, both in shock and amazement.

Lime giggled as she sat atop of Icarus. The pair were floating in front of him; which Gohan was sure someone was about to see, seen as how big Icarus had become recently. The dragon had lost the majority of his baby fat, and was now twice the size he was when Gohan first met him. His purple scales were now hardened and rough, the horns on his head more defined and curved backwards. Icarus' snout was longer, and would occasionally smoke when he was excited or angry. His wingspan was just was as long as his body, and he now had no problem fitting both teenager's on his back.

"Saving you from insane boredom of course," said Lime with a wry smile. She was dressed in a flamboyant ballgown that Gohan had never seen before. The skirt looked as though its was made of many colourful fabrics that fanned out over Icarus' body. The top half was tight across her chest and have silvery see through sleeves that reached her elbows. Lime had even made an effort to curl her hair, and had backcombed it into a messy up-do, with what looked suspiciously like some sort of taxidermic bluebird holding it in place.

"Are you gate crashing?" Gohan gaped in disbelief.

"Trust me I tried!" she huffed, "But get this! They wouldn't let me bring a dragon in! What kind of a party is this?"

The young saiyan grinned, "An insanely boring one, obviously."

"Anyway," said Lime, "we were going to sneak in, that is, until we heard all those gunshots going off. Didn't feel like getting a face full of lead today so we decided to wait out here, isn't that right Icarus?"

The large dragon purred, nudging Gohan's arm for him to pet his snout. "Well I'm glad you decided to stay put," he said, scratching Icarus in between the horns and causing his long tail to wag, "sorry though you two, but Bulma is probably wondering where I am and -"

"Oh no you don't!" Lime protested, "I didn't get dressed up and fly all this way for nothing!"

Icarus let out a low growl in agreement.

"Not to mention that you're awfully sober," she continued with a twinkle in her eye, "and that just won't do."

"But Lime!" he whined, "I can't just leave Bulma after whats happened -"

"I saw you in there," she mused, cutting across him again, "Bulma is with Yamcha and is perfectly fine, you sorted out the Red Shark tossers and got the lot of them arrested! I think that calls for celebration!"

Icarus let out a small squawk, ruffling his wings in anticipation.

"Well… Bulma did leave me with Mister Satan at one point…" he mustered, causing Lime to grin mischievously.

"There you go! Now get on Icarus before I set him on you."

Gohan scoffed, "Lime, Icarus wont-" he stopped, however, when smoke started to filter out of his nostril's, a malicious glint in his eye. "Fine, you win."

Lime cheered and Icarus let out a roar which rumbled through the trees. The young saiyan hoped no one had heard it.

"Let's go _Gold Fighter_ ," Lime smirked, her turquoise eyes running over his frame, "It's about time someone saved you for a change. I expect they'll be helicopters all over the place out looking for you."

He rolled his eyes before mounting Icarus and settling himself behind her.

As the large dragon spread his wings, Lime turned over and smiled at him; "You know, this is pretty exciting!"

"What is?" he asked.

"Being a superhero!"

"Lime!" he yelled hotly, as Icarus shot into the velvet sky, "I'm not a sodding superhero! I'm a-!"

xxxx

As the morning sun drifted in through the window pane, Gohan relished in the warmth that it brought forth across the cotton duvet he was currently wrapped in. He breathed in the sweet scent surrounding him, not wanting to open his eyes as the sound of birds chirping filtered in through the open window. He was incredibly comfortable, the familiar feeling of Lime's naked form pressed up against his body as she slept. He could hear her breathing softly, her breath tickling his ear as she exhaled.

They were lucky it was Saturday morning, and Mister Lao would spend up until lunchtime tending to his crops out in the fields before opening shop. His precious granddaughter would always be allowed a lie in on a Saturday, and would be left completely undisturbed; something that was unheard of in Gohan's household.

It wasn't usual for the young saiyan to stop over if Lime had invited him back, for want of his mother not getting suspicious and subsequently blowing a gasket. So with his level head overpowering his want to stay in bed with his best friend, Gohan creaked open his eyes; and immediately regretted it.

As soon as the daylight invaded his pupils, a sharp pain rippled across his skull; instantly making him feel nauseous. He groaned, placing a hand to his temple as the events of the night before came flooding back to him. He had flown back with Lime and Icarus to the mountains, when the girl had suggested they break into her grandfather's cellar in search of a couple of bottles of beer.

What they had actually found was a stash of Mister Lao's homemade hooch, which was a lot stronger than Gohan had first realised. Once Icarus had left them behind to hunt for the night, he and Lime had shared an entire bottle of the stuff. Vague memories of him whisking the girl around the cornfields, falling in a ditch on their walk home; along with _a lot_ of snogging whirled around his mind.

He sat up groggily, realising just how dry his mouth was. He must have smoked an entire pack of cigarettes last night, and he desperately needed a drink. His eyes darted around the room, looking for any source of water, when he spotted a bottle of pop on Lime's bedside table.

The slightly tepid drink didn't bother him as he began to down it, his gaze drifting to the alarm clock next to him. Gohan nearly spat out his mouthful when he saw the time.

Leaping to his feet and causing the bed to rock; he ignored his spinning head and hurriedly attempted to find his clothes.

Jumping around with a sock in his teeth and desperately pulling up his trousers, did he hear Lime grumble awake. "What are you doing?" she whined, scrunching her eyes up in agitation, "You're so noisy."

"Lime, its half past eleven!" he whispered frantically, fumbling with his belt, "My mother is going to _murder_ me!"

"So what?" she sighed, burying her head into the pillow, "Just say the party ran over or something."

"AM Lime!" he pressed, "It's eleven-thirty AM! Not PM! Its _light_ outside!"

Her eyes suddenly snapped open, "Oh shit."

"I'm dead, I'm so dead," he whined, collapsing back onto the bed in defeat, still not having had located his shirt.

"Well corpse or not Gohan, Granddad's going to blow a fuse if he catches you in here, you have to leave!" Lime flapped, sitting up and hugging the sheet around her bare chest, "Ugh, I'm too hungover for this shit."

"And whose fault is that?" Gohan fumed, "It was your idea to drink that stuff in the first place, my mouth tastes like drain cleaner."

Lime snorted, failing to hide her smile, "I know, but you have to admit it was pretty fun right?"

He grinned at her cheekily, before she whacked him in the head with a pillow, "Now sod off lover boy before we both get into trouble."

He pouted, sitting up and facing her, "But what am I going to say to my mother? She's bound to notice I've been out all night. And what with the attack, she's probably doing her nut."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Lime grinned, leaning across and capturing his lips with hers. He sighed into the kiss, relishing in the way her lips felt against his.

When they eventually pulled apart, Gohan offered her a wolfish smile, "You know, it's really hard to think properly when you do things like that."

As it turned out, the young saiyan couldn't think of any good excuse as to why he had been absent all night. After he had successfully left the Lao's without being spotted by Lime's grandfather; the best he had come up with was that Frieza had miraculously been brought back to life and he had to sort it out in an epic battle that had made him twelve hours late home.

Instead of using such a far fetched excuse, which he was sure was the result of the amount of alcohol still in his system, the teenager thought it best he would try and sneak back into his bedroom without anyone noticing.

Gohan was halfway into breaking in, luckily his mother never locked the windows, and had one foot balancing on his desk when a gruff voice startled him from behind, causing him to smack his head on the window frame.

"Where have you been Gohan?"

"Ow!" The teenager winced, tears springing to the corners of his eyes as he rubbed his already throbbing head. "Sodding _hell_ Piccolo why did you sneak up on me?!"

The strong Namekian eyed him, his arms folded across his chest, "You didn't answer the question, kid."

Gohan opened his mouth to retort when the unmistakable sound of footsteps thundered up the stairs. No more than a moment later did his mother burst through his bedroom door; Bulma, Krillin and Yamcha in tow. The young saiyan was even more surprised to see Vegeta skulk through over the threshold behind them. There was no sign of Goten and Trunks, but Gohan concluded that they had been ushered out of the house before the adults went ballistic on him. Cursing himself that he was so focused on his hangover that he didn't realise the life energies of Earth's strongest warriors were in his house, he didn't have chance to contemplate just why they were there when Vegeta spoke up.

"Fantastic, the brat's alive, now can I go back to my training?" he said dryly, not at all as phased as everyone else was by the teenager who was currently half inside the window, still in his suit from the night before, although not as pristine.

"Where have you BEEN?!" his mother squawked, having gotten over her initial shock and ignoring the Prince's comment. "Bed empty, no phone call and without a word to anyone! And get _down_ from that window Son Gohan or so help me!"

The young saiyan did as he was told, Piccolo etching closer to the window and burning holes into the back of his head. His skull was pounding as his mother continued her relentless onslaught; apparently, when Gohan didn't return to the ball, Bulma had rang Chi-Chi to see if he was home. When his mother had seen his empty room, she had gone into a frenzy, immediately calling Krillin who had offered to help Yamcha look for the teenager.

Vegeta had been pushed into joining the search party in the early hours by Bulma, and Piccolo, sensing the Z-fighter's circulating the planet, came to investigate what was going on.

"We're sorry Gohan we were all just so worried," said Bulma hastily; she looked like she hadn't slept a wink, "I called every police department in the nearest vicinity."

"Oh come on Bulma, like they could catch me," said Gohan, rolling his eyes.

"I'll have less of your cheek young man!" his mother snarled, "You have no excuse for your complete disregard for anyone else. Out all night searching for you we were! Not only did you pull this Gold Fighter stunt when I specifically asked you _not_ to, you try to sneak back into the house after being missing since the early hours!"

"I transformed into the Gold Fighter to _save_ people Mum!" he retorted angrily.

"He's right Chi-Chi," said Bulma, "He really did save everyone, Kami knows there would have been more causalities if Gohan wasn't as quick thinking."

"See?" Gohan seethed, "And I wasn't _missing_!"

"Oh? Then where were you?" said Chi-Chi, her eyes narrowing dangerously and she moved closer towards him. As she neared, her eyes widened, grabbing the teen by the collar and giving him a good sniff, "Have you been _drinking_?! _"_

"No!" he blurted, attempting to escape her.

"I can smell it on you young man! This has got to stop!" Chi-Chi roared. Gohan could feel everyones eyes upon him as his mother yelled again, "You tell me where you were right now Gohan!"

"Just…out," he finished in a small voice, averting his gaze.

The occupants of his bedroom shared a glance.

"Out?" The Ox-princess blinked, "Out where?"

"Just _out_ alright?!" he snarled in annoyance, getting fed up of the constant questioning, all he wanted to to was go and have a shower and go back to sleep. "Kami, can I not do anything without you lot breathing down my neck every five minutes?!"

A stunned silence encompassed them, before Krillin mustered nervously, "We're sorry Gohan, we just didn't know where you had got to. We just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Yeah," Yamcha chimed in, "You just looked a little off last night mate, and what with the police after you and all, well we didn't know if something might have happened."

"Well I can look after myself!" he snapped, although a pang of guilt rippled across his chest at the look on his friend's face. He knew that Yamcha was referring to the conversation they were having before Bulma introduced her business friends.

"Watch your mouth young man," Chi-Chi warned, "How do you expect any of us to trust that you're safe when you go off galavanting whenever you feel like it?!"

"I'm fifteen years old!" He shot back angrily, "I'm not a baby, I don't need to tell you everything!"

"Maybe your Mum's right Gohan," Krillin interjected cautiously, "We all understood at first, and gave you space. But don't you think its time you just settled down a little?"

Gohan stared at him, dumbfounded. He could hardly believe his ears.

"What Krillin's trying to say," said Bulma, attempting to relieve the sudden tension, "is that we've got no problem with you doing this Gold Fighter stuff -" his mother made a noise of disapproval - "really, we think its great. But you played it a bit dangerous last night kiddo, and then not to come back for hours on end? It's great to have an outlet, but being out all night is another thing altogether; especially with the way things have been lately."

The young saiyan felt anger bubbling in his chest. His friends were all looking towards him in pity. Was this really what they thought of him? A broken piece of furniture that needed to be fixed? He didn't need that, he just needed to be left alone!

"So what?" he fumed, "You think that I should just forget everything that's happened and move on do you? That easy is it?"

"Gohan," Yamcha tried, "We're not saying-"

"I know exactly what you're saying!" Gohan growled, his voice rising, "You all think I've got daddy issues and I'm lashing out!"

His mother gasped, her demeanour suddenly performing a one-eighty at the mention of his father, "Sweetheart, that's not-!"

"Just leave it alright?!" he roared, "I want to be left alone!"

"You will not speak to your mother in that tone!" Chi-Chi flipped again.

"I'll do whatever the hell I want!"

"You're not invincible Gohan!" she yelled, irate, "You will do what as I say for as long as your under my roof! You're just a child!"

"Really?" The teenager boasted loudly, "That's odd isn't it? Because I don't recall you lot treating me like one when you're throwing me in front of manic monsters that want to blow up the sodding universe!"

There was a beat of awkward silence, when Gohan had realised he had gone too far. Both Krillin and Yamcha's faces were a mixture of guilt, shock and hurt. Bulma had tears in her eyes and Chi-Chi was opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water. Vegeta, who had been indifferent throughout the entire conversation had suddenly turned his head towards him in interest. He didn't even want to see the look on Piccolo's face.

"I'm going for a shower," he stated dryly, "Then if you don't mind, I'd like to do my homework in peace."

With that, he swiftly left the room; grabbing a towel from the airing cupboard and striding across the landing to the bathroom, where he closed the door behind him with a snap. From behind the door, he could hear the distant murmurs of his friends, but he had no intention of eavesdropping. Instead, he turned on the shower, allowing the hot steam to fill the bathroom before he stripped off and stepped into the tub.

The warm water caused his long hair to stick to his face and back; he tilted his head backwards, as the shower pounded with rapid succession on his skin. He felt sick, but wasn't sure if it was due to his hangover or what had just transpired. He didn't mean to fly off the handle like that, but the words had escaped his mouth before he even had chance to wrap his head around what he was saying.

It was true what Krillin had said; the Z-Fighter's had kept their distance for the first year after the Cell Games, allowing the young saiyan to work out his emotions and feelings in his own way. But Gohan couldn't help but think they thought it was time to get over it; they had moved on, so why couldn't he?

But then again they hadn't inadvertently killed their own father and left their mother without a husband and a little brother without a father, he thought bitterly; turning off the shower abruptly.

Shaking his wet hair out of his eyes, he stared at himself in the mirror; relenting in the fact that he had left the sanctuary of Lime's bed for this. The teenager had all but pulled the towel around his waist when there was a knock at the bathroom door.

"Go away," he said through the door, having an idea of who it was before having to sense them.

"Don't make me break down the door kid."

Gohan sighed, grasping the handle and swinging the it open; he would rather his mother not yell at him for something else.

It was odd seeing the tall Namekian in the house, even though he did spend the three years with them in the lead up to the battle with the Androids; even then he had only sat in the kitchen and ducked his head in Gohan's window from time to time.

Piccolo was staring at him with an unreadable expression, his shoulder pads stretched too wide to be seen beyond the door frame; and his posture was a little slouched from being too tall. Still, he looked intimidating with his muscular green arms folded across his chest and his strong stance unwavering.

"What?" asked Gohan, trying his best to glare at his mentor.

Piccolo ignored him; instead, to the young saiyan's surprise, he dipped his head low and entered the bathroom, pushing Gohan back and closing the door behind him. They stared at each other for a while in the little bathroom, with Gohan having to sit on the edge of the bath and Piccolo leaning up against the door, the sink and toilet to the side of them. The air was thick and humid due to the condensation, which seemed to mimic the tension between the two Z-Fighter's.

"That was harsh Gohan," Piccolo said finally.

"So?" the teenager scoffed, averting his gaze to his lap, "They deserved it."

Piccolo gave him a knowing look, "Do you honestly believe that?"

Gohan stayed silent, feeling himself beginning to waver under his mentor's stare. Was it really how he felt? Piccolo, out of all of them had been the one to train him up to fight. He had taken him away from his mother when he was just four years old, and pushed him to the brink of his potential. He and the rest of the Z-Fighter's had supported and encouraged him, fought alongside him and died for him even. And his father… well…

Slowly, the young saiyan shook his head in response.

Piccolo sighed, "Gohan, your power-"

"Is special," he said, looking up, "I know, you've said before."

"I know you don't like talking about it kid," the Namekian pressed, "but you can't avoid it forever."

"Obviously," Gohan replied sharply, "It seems I can't avoid anything nowadays without there being an intervention in the middle of my bedroom."

"Don't be like that Gohan," Piccolo warned, "We were all worried about you."

"Worried about what exactly?" he fumed, "That I'm going to throw a temper tantrum and blow myself up? Do I look like Chaiozu?!"

His mentor gave him a pointed look.

"Whatever," said Gohan, standing up suddenly and inching towards the door, "I'm going to get dressed."

But Piccolo didn't budge, "This sudden attitude of yours isn't helping either, you need an outlet."

The teenager rolled his eyes, "You heard them, I already have an 'outlet'."

"The Gold Fighter isn't an outlet," said Piccolo, "and neither is running around defying your mother with other idiotic teenagers."

"Oh, so now you're on _her_ side?" he scoffed, Piccolo and Chi-Chi were notorious of not seeing eye to eye.

"Tell me Gohan, when was the last time you trained, and I mean _really_ trained?" questioned Piccolo, ignoring him.

The young saiyan opened his mouth to retort, then closed it. Thinking for a moment, he opened it again before Piccolo cut across him.

"My point exactly," he said smugly, "Your mother informs me that she hasn't seen you train for months, you won't even teach Goten a kata."

"What so you're best friends now?" Gohan guffawed.

"You're just getting yourself into trouble with this Gold Fighter gig," Piccolo continued, "You managed to cause a lot of damage with the stunt you pulled last night."

"I don't see you lot doing anything useful," the young saiyan grumbled, folding his arms moodily across his chest.

The Namekian raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And you think messing around catching criminals is sufficient enough to keep up your strength if another threat were to face the Earth?"

Gohan turned his head, refusing to look at him.

"What if someone more powerful than Cell came along?" Piccolo continued, "Are you saying you'll be useful then?"

Gohan's demeanour began to waver as his left arm started to tingle uncomfortably. An enemy greater than Cell? It wouldn't bare thinking about.

"It could happen," said Piccolo, "And you wouldn't be ready."

The teenager snapped his gaze towards him, feeling a mixture of shame and annoyance. What was it of Piccolo's business anyway? He was just trying to be a normal teenager for goodness sake! "Well I suppose you and Vegeta will have to take over then won't you? Like Mum said I'm still a child."

"You're mother may be an idiot but even she realises that you're the strongest of all of us," Piccolo snorted, "and you're off wasting your time and potential whilst the rest of us sit and worry."

"So thats the reason behind this sudden intervention?" frowned Gohan.

"If you haven't noticed, we've been trying to reach out to you for a while," he replied, "You've not been yourself lately."

"I _am_ being myself!" The halfling said as he rolled his eyes, "It's called growing up Piccolo."

"I don't see anything grown up about scaring your mother and Bulma half to death," he shot back, his beetle black eyes narrowing. "What's going on kid, where were you?"

Gohan's breath suddenly hitched in his throat; there was no way he could tell his mentor about him and Lime. He knew they were friends of course, the young saiyan having mentioned her on numerous occasions. And as Piccolo's penetrative stare locked onto him, Gohan made his decision.

"I was out with friends," he explained, feeling guilty. Although Gohan had skirted around the truth before, he had never told his mentor an outright lie, still, it was the safest way to avoid certain castration. "Friends from school," he continued, "We just hung around the village and then camped out in one of the fields and drank a bit, I s'pose I just lost track of time was all."

Gohan looked up hesitantly; it wasn't a complete and utter lie. Lime _was_ a friend from the village and he _had_ lost track of time. And well, as for 'camping out' in the fields, he was sure that included things such as lying in the long blades of grass. Which is what he did, without any clothes on of course, but in Gohan's defence it was an incredibly warm night!

Piccolo eyed him for a moment, before sighing; "Well at least you weren't getting yourself into any real trouble this time."

The teenager sweated nervously, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

"Well, I suppose its settled then," Piccolo sighed after a while.

"What is?" Gohan asked skeptically, he didn't like the look of the smirk that had made its way onto his mentor's lips.

"Your training," Piccolo informed him, "You're going to start training with Vegeta from tomorrow."

"WHAT?!" He yelled, "Since when?!"

"Since your mother grounded you just now," the Namek grinned, "meaning you'll have more time to train instead of loitering behind shops with your friends."

"And you actually got my mother to agree to this?" he said in disbelief.

"She thinks the discipline will do you good," he stated indifferently, "I managed to convince her that the discipline will be good for your mind too."

"But I don't want to train!" Gohan protested, "Especially not with Vegeta!"

Piccolo gave him a smug look, "I thought you just said that you wanted Vegeta and I to take over if another threat came to the planet? In order to do that we will need to become stronger than the second level of super saiyan, or at least reach it."

"B-but-! Mister Piccolo!"

"It's settled kid, don't try to argue," he warned, "You'll train with Vegeta to make sure you don't get weak, and then you can help him ascend. If he manages to, then I won't make you train anymore."

Gohan couldn't help but notice that his mentor said this with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"I'll jump in occasionally," Piccolo continued, "But right now Dende needs some of my focus with his studies."

"This is so unfair," the teenager pouted, leaning back on the bath, "It's like you're all ganging up on me."

Piccolo let out a low chuckle, "Don't worry kid, we'll make sure you're up to scratch before we do that."


	7. A Royal Pain

**Chapter Six**

 **A Royal Pain**

"Alright, let's just get this over with," Gohan sighed, tightening his gi sash around his waist and attempting to gulp down the lump that had appeared in his throat.

It was early the next morning, so early in fact, that the young saiyan had managed to avoid Goten's wake up call. After digging out the gi that Piccolo had materialised for him for his birthday; the usual deep purple with red sash and red weighted wristbands, he had poured himself a measly bowl of cereal and took off towards Capsule Corp. for his first training session with Vegeta.

The teenager couldn't believe he had been subjected to such torture and was dreading spending the entire morning with the hot-tempered Prince. His mother had been less than sympathetic after Gohan had returned from his shower, and he had spent the rest of the day in his bedroom; texting Lime back and forth exclaiming just how unfair his life was.

Gohan had simply refused to give the other's a call to apologise, as his mother had suggested; he could do with less people poking their nose in. And as much as the young saiyan hated ignoring his friends, he needed some time to cool off.

Evidently, Piccolo thought the best way to do so was to spend his Sunday morning with the Prince of all Saiyan's.

Said Prince was positively beside himself; he stood proudly in front of Gohan with his arms crossed and his stance as wide as his shoulders. His obsidian eyes hadn't left him from the moment he had entered the gravity room, a wicked smirk playing on his lips.

Vegeta was dressed in a pair of dark grey jogging bottoms and a navy tank top; a pair of training boots adorning his feet. Trunks had been banned from the chamber of course, despite attempting to force his way in several times after he had sensed Gohan's ki. But a part of him wished the little saiyan was here, maybe Vegeta wouldn't be so hard on him? The teen shook his head, that was a stupid thought.

"Don't tell me your not excited boy?" Vegeta gloated, "Saiyan blood runs in your veins after all, you must be itching for a fight."

Gohan scoffed, blowing a stray bang out of his eyes, "I thought we were _training_ Vegeta, not fighting."

"There's a difference?" he grinned wickedly, and without warning came speeding full force at the young saiyan.

Gohan squeaked, dodging out of the way just in time as Vegeta's swinging fist aimed for his face.

"I see your reflexes haven't been affected by your laziness," he mused, his gaze finding the halfling as he straightened up, "Must be all that rescuing cats from trees you do in your spare time."

Gohan opened his mouth in an angry retort when Vegeta launched himself at him again. The young saiyan ducked, as the prince's leg soared over his head, ruffling his hair from the wind it had caused. Gohan stepped back, as Vegeta didn't let up; continuing his onslaught with a barrage of punches that narrowly missed colliding with his body.

"You can't dodge me forever!" Vegeta shouted, startling the teenager and enabling the prince to land a hit directly onto his chin. The skin popped, spilling blood onto his chest as he toppled backwards, landing on his back with a loud clang.

The gravity room's titles were metallic and cold, and not at all comfy to fall on. Gohan held his sore chin as he sat upright, his eyes narrowing at the gloating saiyan.

"Pathetic," Vegeta snorted as the teenager clambered to his feet, "Although it does seem as though Piccolo has underestimated you."

A gust of wind picked up around them, as the full bloodied saiyan's ki began to spike. In a sudden flash of blue aura, Vegeta appeared in front of him and Gohan felt as though a sudden ton of bricks had been dropped onto his stomach. "You've gotten a lot softer," the prince spoke snidely, retracting his fist and allowing the halfling to drop to his knees.

Gohan gasped, his hands reaching around his middle in pain.

"Get up, brat," said Vegeta simply, "You're not even trying."

Gohan sighed in defeat, knowing that his stubbornness would only get him so far. Hopefully training with Vegeta would get Piccolo and the rest of the Z-fighter's off his back. All he had to do was get Vegeta to transform into an ascended super saiyan, which didn't sound too bad unless he said it out loud. But Gohan couldn't simply teach the Prince how to do it; he wasn't sure if _he_ could do it anymore, never mind the level of absolute fury he had lost himself in when he had made the ascension. All he was riding on was the hope that if he could piss Vegeta off so much that he would transform, then he could get on with his normal life of going to school, seeing his best friend and doing his duty as a super-powered vigilante without getting arrested.

Marvellous, shouldn't be too hard.

Clambering steadily to his feet, the young saiyan slipped into his fighting stance; which was reminiscent of both Piccolo's and the Turtle School's style. His guard was low and short; having being the smallest of the Z-Fighter's for so long he had had to rely on speed and stealth in order to overcome the enemy. His knees bent slightly in preparation for Vegeta's next onslaught; his hands balled up into fists as he eyed the Prince.

Vegeta had no real stance to speak of; instead, he stood stoic and unwavering, which was just as intimidating. Even though the deal was that they were supposed to be helping each other, Gohan couldn't help but feel that this 'training' had been a little one sided so far.

"Well come on," Vegeta growled, "No one's going to ascend any time soon if you keep gawking at me like a blithering idiot! Fight me!"

Gohan gritted his teeth, allowing ki to flood from the pit of his stomach out towards his extremities. Like a fire, his white aura ignited around him before he kicked off from the ground and careened towards the Prince; drawing his fist back before launching it towards his cheek.

The punch all but grazed him, as Vegeta managed to phase out; his own aura blazing before bringing up his knee to Gohan's ribs. The young saiyan caught it just in time, using it as a tool to propel himself above his elder and stretching out his palm, blasting a white hot ball of ki towards him.

Vegeta batted it away viciously, sending it spiralling behind him where it exploded; scorching the tiled walls. Then, as the smoke subsided; he was in the air, delivering a hammer fist to Gohan's head which made a sickening thud when it collided.

Dropping a few feet, Gohan growled; and ignoring the dizziness, powered up a little more before blasting towards the Prince.

"No super saiyan's boy!" Vegeta yelled, blocking the teenager's attack with his forearm.

Gohan was seething; he didn't understand how Vegeta expected to ascend under these conditions. On his orders, they were both in their base forms and without the gravity simulator even turned on; just what was he trying to achieve?

The teen attacked again, delivering a spinning kick to Vegeta's side; but to his despair, the Prince caught it, wrapping his arm around his thigh in a crippling hold. Gohan yelped in pain, as Vegeta squeezed hard on the appendage. "Too slow!"

"Too stupid!" Gohan yelled back, twisting himself around and raising his other leg to connect his boot with Vegeta's face.

To the young saiyan's relief, the Prince released him before being knocked back a few feet. Panting heavily, Gohan mentally cursed himself for letting himself slip a little; he hadn't trained with anyone properly for years. A few spars at Capsule Corp. barbecues certainly didn't count.

But Vegeta, true to form, didn't ease up; he was upon Gohan before he could even blink. His knee roughly embedded itself into his gut, lifting him into the air before Vegeta followed up his attack with an elbow strike to the teen's spine.

Slamming to the ground on his hands and knees; the young saiyan gritted his teeth, looking up to find the Prince still circling above him. With a battle cry, Gohan launched himself into the air towards him; unleashing his fists upon his elder's torso.

"You're letting your anger blind you," Vegeta snarled, grabbing Gohan's incoming fist before delivering his own to his ribcage. "THINK! Don't let your years of battle be wasted!"

"I'm _wasting_ my bleeding time here!" Gohan puffed angrily; blocking Vegeta's shin, "What the bleeding hell are you trying to pull?!"

The saiyan didn't answer; instead, he grasped both of the teenager's wrists and snapped his head forward so that their skulls connected; sending Gohan flying backwards so that he smacked roughly against the opposite wall of the chamber.

"See!" Gohan coughed, spitting a mixture of blood and saliva onto the ground, "You're just doing this for your own amusement; what do you get off bullying me?!"

"What are you five?" Vegeta scoffed, earning himself a glare from the halfling, "This is for your benefit as well as mine so stop whinging and let's get back to work."

"Can't I just tell you how to become a super saiyan two and be on my way?" he pleaded hopelessly.

Vegeta's lips twitched at the name the Z-Fighter's had dubbed the ascended transformation, "Oh and you think you could do that do you?"

"Well I-"

"Listen up brat," he said suddenly, "You are not here to teach _me_ anything. I am the Prince of all Saiyan's, I will not be _lectured_ by some low class half-breed."

Gohan floated from where he had crashed; his arms across his chest as he silently fumed.

"Piccolo and I are fed up with your damned attitude and your complete disregard for the power you wield; that is why you are here," Vegeta continued, "As for me, not only do I get a kick out of beating one of Kakarot's idiotic spawn; I get to push him to release that power and show me the trigger to achieving the next level that I'm so desperately close to."

Gohan blinked; he didn't know that Vegeta was so close to achieving the ascension, and with a heavy feeling did he realise that he would find out all too soon.

"So boy, are you ready for the next round?"

Gohan sighed as he got back into his stance. Honestly, he wasn't so sure he was.

 **xxxx**

The weeks of June slipped by in a haze, a long drought was affecting the majority of the land and the high rising sun did nothing to ease the hottest days that they had faced in decades. Gohan was particularly agitated by the heat, as he and Vegeta's training had continued regardless; and just last week did the Prince get so angry with him did he blast the young saiyan into the air vent; knocking out the air conditioning to the gravity chamber.

Bulma made the excuse of being too pregnant to care or in fact, do anything about it, and so the saiyan males were subjected to training in nothing but their underwear; something that Yamcha was beside himself with when he had walked in on them training one day.

Gohan was exhausted; he was ordered to spend every day after school with Vegeta, after going to school, enduring Shu and finishing his homework of course. He and Lime had barely spent any time together, which was frustrating the hormone fuelled teen to no end. He had taken to the streets of Satan City at night as The Gold Fighter; unless there was a catastrophe in the middle of the day of course.

Being tired and irritable did nothing for his vigilante appearances; he was just as reckless and rude as ever. During one of his appearances, he had saved a bus load of primary school children from veering off a cliff face. Once they were out safely and being interviewed by a group of excitable paparazzi, Gohan had yawned loudly, stretching out his arms in succession and leaning on the bus; sending it crashing to the rocks below and leaving several dozen children stranded. It was safe to say that the public still hadn't warmed up to him just yet, and neither had Videl Satan.

His body was starting to take the toll of his ruthless endeavour too, as he had started to turn up at school with cuts and bruises everywhere; something that Shu was particularly quick in pointing out, calling him every name under the sun along with snide remarks about his father.

Which was why, after another long evening with Vegeta, was Gohan sat atop The Lookout, allowing Dende to heal him so that he would receive less ridicule from Shu. That, and his mother was making him want to tear his ears off every time he came home with a black eye. Dende, thankfully, took time out of his studies to botch him up; they both didn't want to keep pestering Korin for senzu beans.

Gohan sighed gratefully as the warmth of Dende's healing powers pulsated in waves over his torso. His shirt, ripped as it was had been discarded; his long hair drenched with sweat, his gi bottoms were also torn in places and well as a scorch marks and cuts littering his body. The young Namekian stuck his tongue to the side of his mouth in concentration, focusing on a deep gash in his side that Vegeta had awarded him with just before he passed out.

Dende made a short noise of disapproval, scooting over to inspect his ribs.

"You should have seen the other bloke," Gohan joked, causing his friend to frown in distaste.

"Honestly, I can't deal with the stupidity of you saiyan's right now," said Dende, Gohan having had explained the whole ascension complex Vegeta had to him days ago.

"Oi!" the teenager protested, "Don't forget it was a Namekian that forced me into this - OW!"

"Stay still," his friend tutted, his fingers brushing the sensitive scarring of his left arm, "How many times do I have to tell you to go easy on it?"

"Try telling that to Vegeta when he's got it in an arm bar," Gohan scoffed, "He says it's a _weakness_. Bloody typical of him when I injured it protecting the ungrateful git- OW! Watch it!"

The young Namekian ignored his protests as he straightened out the appendage, the prickly feeling running up and down the bones and muscles; causing the young saiyan to wince in pain.

"Oh stop it," Dende chuckled, noticing how tense the teenager was, "I'm not even doing that part now. Now please stay still, I need to heal your ribs, two of them are cracked."

"Alright, alright," Gohan sighed, sitting back a little.

The two friends sat in silence, thankfully, it wasn't as warm up on The Lookout as it was on the Earth below, and Gohan found himself relishing in the cool breeze that swept over him, the soothing hum of Dende's power filling the air.

The halfling had just taken to admiring the butterflies in Mr. Popo's garden when Dende cleared his throat, "Um, Gohan?"

"Hmm?" The young saiyan quirked, his gaze fixated on a sapphire blue butterfly that had just landed on a nearby Linden tree.

"Well its just, there's something on my mind," Dende mustered, still healing.

Sensing the nervous tone in his friends voice, Gohan looked towards him, "What is it?"

Dende retracted his hands, the warmth suddenly leaving him. The young Namekian bit his lip, and looked increasingly uncomfortable.

Gohan was suddenly concerned, "Dende, what's the matter?"

"Well," he started, twiddling his thumbs, "As you know that with being Earth's guardian comes great responsibilities; I have to learn everything from the way the plants grow to the way humans…work."

The young saiyan stared at him with a curious expression, having no clue what he was talking about.

Dende let out a slow breath, "Recently, I have been reading up on human relationships…"

Gohan bit his lip to keep himself from laughing, he could imagine a disgruntled Piccolo throwing a book at him and commanding he study the birds and the bees. Namekian's came from eggs after all, and they would simply just hatch more if they wanted more Namekian's. There were no kinds of intimate relationships between them unlike here on Earth as far as he knew, poor Dende.

"So, what do you want to know?" asked Gohan, he couldn't imagine Piccolo helping in any way, shape or form if the young guardian had a question that was that way inclined.

"I've got a good grasp on the basics," Dende replied, "But something has been bothering me."

"Oh?" he pressed, stifling a giggle.

His friend nodded, before turning to the halfling, "I've read how marriages work, as a union between two people; I've seen that they usually get a house together and stay in the same bed but…"

"But what? Great Kami, spit it out Dende," Gohan urged in an exasperated tone.

Suddenly, the guardian slapped his hands over his eyes; "I'm so sorry Gohan! I didn't mean to look!"

The young saiyan blinked, taken aback, "Look at what? What the bloody hell are you on about?"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Dende cried, peaking out from between his fingers, "It was the night you disappeared after that attack in Satan City and Piccolo was really worried, he's been teaching me how to watch certain people from up here so I thought I'd try it out to find you but - oh no!"

Gohan's throat ran dry, " _What_ did you see?"

The young Namekian slipped his hands away from his face, a bright purple blush had crept onto his cheeks. "Well, I didn't really know at first, but _blimey_ Gohan I didn't realise you were that close with that girl!"

If the halfling wasn't completely mortified, he would have found the fact that the Guardian of Earth had swore utterly hilarious. "You were _spying_ on me?!" he roared, blushing just as much as his friend.

"No not spying!" he protested, tugging at the neck of his garb, "I was just looking for you a-and then, and then I-I saw you in b-bed!" His breathing was rapid, looking completely panic stricken, "and y-you were, YOU WERE HAVING S-"

Gohan was incredibly thankful that his friend had healed his ribs, as it would have made shutting him up a lot more difficult. " _Be quiet!"_ The young saiyan growled in a low voice, his hands slapping over Dende's mouth, "Don't you realise how big Piccolo's ears are by now?!

Dende, who was completely startled by the halfling launching himself at him, gave a muffled shriek underneath his palms. "Now, I'm going to release you," Gohan said calmly, "no shouting, alright?"

Dende nodded furiously, allowing the young saiyan to retract his hands.

"S-sorry," the guardian blushed, "I was just a bit shocked by it all. I mean, I never expected to see-."

"Yes _alright_ Dende," Gohan fumed, folding his arms across his chest, "Serves you right for snooping."

The young Namekian hung his head in shame.

"You can't tell anyone either," said Gohan.

"W-what?" Dende gasped, snapping his gaze towards him, "Like a secret?"

"Yes a secret Dende," the halfling spat, "Meaning your not allowed to go running your mouth to anyone."

"But Guardian's aren't supposed to have secrets!" he panicked.

"Well tough luck, now you have this one!" Gohan snapped back, engulfing the pair in silence.

"I am truly sorry Gohan," mustered Dende, "I really didn't mean to."

"Sorry for traumatising you," Gohan chuckled nervously, "Just please try not to do it again, alright?"

Dende smiled, "Oh trust me, I'm already trying to find out a way where I never have to see anything like that again."

The two teens shared a look, before erupting into laughter, the sound echoing over the sanctuary. Piccolo and Mr. Popo were safely tucked away indoors, the former more than likely deep in meditation and the latter cooking. Gohan drooled as he caught the scent of food from the temple, Mr. Popo could nearly rival his mother with his culinary efforts; but then again he had hundreds upon hundreds of years of practice. He hoped they would offer to have him stay for dinner before he had to go home.

"Seriously though Gohan," Dende started after both boys had calmed down, "Do you like her? Lime? You must do as I only read about people who were married doing that sort of thing."

"Well yeah, of course I like her," said Gohan, feeling a little embarrassed, "and you don't have to be married to do stuff like that Dende."

"I thought as much," he replied knowingly, "But why do it when its not for procreation?"

"It feels…well, you do it when-" the halfling failed, his eyes darting around him. Not sure really how to explain it, he leaned over to his friend and whispered into his ear. Once he had finished, Gohan drew back with a smirk and Dende looked at him with a wide eyed expression.

"Wow," the young Namekian breathed, "Weirdly, I feel as though I'm missing out."

"I know right," said Gohan with a wicked smile.

Dende clapped a hand to his mouth, failing to hide his excitable giggle. "It really is remarkable, you've got to tell me more about it! For my er, studies of course."

The young saiyan had never seen his friend so giddy, so decided to humour him; "Alright, what do you want to know?"

"Well," Dende said thoughtfully, "There was the thing she was doing when you were out in the cornfield's together, how does that work?"

"Well it's -" Gohan stopped sort, positively seething at the young Guardian, "Wait a minute, JUST HOW LONG WERE YOU WATCHING US FOR YOU BLOODY PERVERT?!"

 **xxxx**

Gohan didn't visit The Lookout for the rest of the week, and as consequence had to rely solely on botching himself up with home-remedies after his gruelling training sessions with Vegeta. Even though he had repeatedly told the prince specifically _not_ to touch his face, he didn't listen; nor did he care, meaning that Gohan had to go to school looking as though he had been hit in the face with a sledgehammer. His peers didn't ask too many questions, the Son family were well known in the village for their martial arts background. However, this didn't ease Gohan's annoyance towards the situation.

It was a dull Tuesday afternoon, and the young saiyan was sat lying with his head in his arms; ignoring Lime's constant elbowing in an attempt to get him to stay awake. Luckily for them it was a Shu free day, and the two teenager's had managed to find a space at the back of the class. It was another 'read in silence' sort of lesson with Paisley, and Gohan had taken this opportunity to nod off, leaving Lime to cover for him incase he snored.

He had hoped that with each training session, his stamina would improve and he would at least be able to spend one whole lesson without falling to sleep. But to the halfling's dismay, his busy schedule was taking its toll and his concentration was being effected; thus he was currently sporting a rather nasty cut above his eyebrow.

He had attempted to cover the wound with steristrips, although it could still be seen from beneath his spikey fringe. He was getting increasing fed up with Vegeta going full throttle at him every time they trained; and he didn't feel like he was improving at all. It was as if Piccolo was pawning him off as the elder saiyan's new punching bag.

Just as he was starting to get comfortable, he heard a faint beeping sound coming from his wrist. It beeped a few times, before Lime forcibly kicked him in the shin and caused him to sit up abruptly. Several students had turned their heads towards him as Gohan fumbled with his watch in an attempt to silence it.

Bulma had recently installed a brand new communication system in his Gold Fighter costume, that caused his watch to notify him if a big emergency was taking place; even if he were hundreds of miles away and not just in the same area.

Gohan waited for his peers to turn back around, before he held the small speaker to his ear and listened to the transmission. " _Attention all units! A fire is currently raging in the old warehouse on the corner of Herc Street and Eastern Avenue; its spreading to the flats next door! Several casualties have already been pulled from the destruction, evacuation is in situ! We need urgent back up!"_

The young saiyan blinked, Herc Street and Eastern Avenue sat at the heart of Satan City; part of the industrial estate that was near to the city's main gas works, if that went up then a lot of people would be killed. He needed to get out of school, but he wasn't sure Bulma would be too happy about covering for him again.

With an idea springing to mind, Gohan stood up suddenly, his chair scraping on the wooden floor. "Sir! I don't feel very well!" he said loudly.

Every pair of eyes were upon him in an instant, including Paisley's, who eyed him from behind his spectacles. "Not feeling very well Mister Son?" he said, studying him disbelievingly.

"No Sir, not very well at all," said the teenager, clutching his stomach, "I think I need to go to the nurse."

Catching on, Lime stood up, clapping a hand over his forehead, "Oh Gohan! I think you're getting a fever!"

"Who said that?" Gohan said in a weak voice, swaying on the spot and half closing his eyes, "Mummy, is that you? Why is everything getting dark?"

Several of the class snickered.

Paisley sighed in distain, "Very well Mister Son, if it's _that_ bad, you may go."

The young halfling sighed in relief, grabbing his bag from the floor.

"Be careful," Lime whispered, before he gave her a winning smile and bolted from the room.

Gohan reached Satan City in just under five minutes; having had transformed mid air, his long golden locks flowed behind him in rapid motion as he arrived at the scene. He could spot the billowing towers of smoke from miles away, and sure enough did he come to find that the entire warehouse was engulfed in flames.

The air was hot and humid, and was filled with the screams and shouts of the people gathered on the pavement below. They were being pushed back by fire officer's and police, who had placed barriers around the perimeter in an attempt to tame them. Fire engines were dotted around in front of the blazing building, their hoses blasting streams of water into the roaring flames.

But as the transmission said, the blaze had spread; and the complex of flats next to the warehouse was alight, engulfed in a gold and amber hue. Ambulance sirens reached his ears, and Gohan noticed several people being dragged from the building; though, with a heavy heart, he couldn't make out whether they were dead or alive.

It was an odd place to build living accommodation in such an industrial part of the city; steel works and small mechanic shops surrounding it. Then again, it was at the 'rougher' end of the city, and he guessed that renting a flat out there must have been pretty cheap for a tourist town.

Gohan's green eyes darted about him from beneath his visor; trying to figure out a way to put out the blaze. A gust of ki was not enough to put out a fire of that scale, and a Kamehameha wave was too much; people were still inside the building and could get hurt if he released something like that.

Suddenly, something glinted in the corner of his eye. He turned, spotting a large water tower atop the block of flats, its contents were surely enough to put out the fire before it spread any further. He looked towards the ground, where firefighters could only reach so far with their hose's; there was no way they could reach the top, the complex must have been about forty stories high.

A loud crack shook him out of his thoughts, followed by a scream as the steel roof of the warehouse started to twist and crumble under the heat. Quickly, the young saiyan made his decision and swooped down to the ground, landing in front of a flabbergasted fire officer.

"Blimey! It's The Gold Fighter!" one man shouted from the crowd, although he could barely be heard over the commotion.

"Sir, you need to get your team into the building," Gohan said in a calm voice, "Concentrate on getting these people out and I'll handle the fire."

"W-what?!" The man spluttered, "Just who do you think you are kid? This is no place for a vigilante! This is real stuff here and you could get hurt!"

"Look," the teenager explained, "There's a large water tower on the roof, there's no way that your firefighter's can reach it in time before the building collapses; or worse, it spreads to the gas works."

The fire officer blinked in disbelief, yet there was utter helplessness in his eyes. The fire was too big, people were going to die. The man gulped, his eyes studying the teenager, "How on earth do you expect to-?!"

"Trust me, Sir," said Gohan, "I know what I'm doing."

Before the dumbstruck man could reply; the young saiyan was suddenly surrounded. The police had abandoned their posts at the barricades, and had their guns pointed at him.

"Stand back Rodney," the man who looked like the Sargent due to the insignia on his sleeves said to the fire officer, "That there's The Gold Fighter, he could be dangerous."

Gohan sighed; he really didn't have time for this.

"Thank you Sargent, I'm perfectly aware of who he is," said Rodney, with a smile; surprising the teen, "But right now we have a more pressing problem on our hands, and The Gold Fighter wants to help."

"Surely you can't be serious?!" The Sargent gaped.

"Oh completely," Rodney stated, turning to the golden haired boy, "You said you know what you're doing right son? You sure you can handle it?"

"Believe me Sir, I've handled a lot worse," Gohan grinned, and with an approving nod from the man, he shot into the air; ignoring the desperate shouts from the police behind him. The frightened crowd gasped, as they watched The Gold Fighter soar high above the flames, causing them to flicker backwards from the impact of his aura.

The halfling stopped above the complex just to see, with relief, the majority of firefighters retreating to help pull more people from the building. All Gohan needed to do was make sure that everyone was out safely before he released the water, he wouldn't want to drown anyone either.

He was poised, waiting; when his hair suddenly flew in front of his face from a gust created by a familiar yellow helicopter.

Gohan face-palmed. First bullets, now fire? Just what does this girl think she was made of?

"I've spotted the water tower Sarge," Videl spoke into her wrist watch; she was standing on the edge of the open door as it hovered over the complex; ready to jump. "I'm going in."

With an almighty leap, the Satan girl landed effortlessly on the rooftop and raced towards the tower.

Gohan swore under his breath, landing behind her in one fowl swoop. "Stealing my ideas now are we Miss Satan? My, I never thought you'd stoop so low."

Videl jumped at the sound of his voice, spinning around on her heel with fury in her eyes. "What _are_ you talking about?"

She was already sweating from the heat, a light sheen evident on her forehead and neck. Gohan wasn't feeling it as badly, even though the smoke was making it a bit difficult to breathe; training in the wild fluctuating temperatures of The Hyperbolic Time Chamber for a year certainly had its benefits.

Without waiting for Gohan's answer, the girl snarled, "And what are you even doing here anyway? Honestly you're like some kind of stalker! You're always following me!"

Gohan gaped at her, before smirking, "Well maybe I wouldn't have to follow you if you were actually any good at saving people."

He had never thought he had seen Videl so angry, "It was fine! Everything was fine until you decided to come here! No one likes that you're here! No one wants you here! And you're _not_ helping!"

"Okay, first of all," he started, holding up a finger, "If everything was fine before I showed up, how do you explain the growing crime rate in the city?"

Videl glared at him.

"And second," said Gohan, holding up another finger, "I am helping, Rodder's himself asked me to come up here and sort it for him, so looks like your other theory of no one wanting me here is wrong too."

"Who the ruddy hell is Rodder's?" she seethed.

"Rodney," stated Gohan simply, "The fire officer. Nice bloke, might ask him if he wants to go for a pint after I've saved everyone."

"You're lying." she gaped.

"And why would I do that?" he grinned, "You can go ask him if you want, be really helpful if you got out of my way while you're at it."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Videl roared, her voice cracking under the thick air, "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to put out this fire, get the rest of these people to safety and then unmask you to expose you for the prat you are!"

Gohan snorted, "Good luck with that."

As soon as the words left is mouth, the tiles below their feet shifted. The building had started to crumble from the intensity of the heat, the fire slowly destroying its foundations.

"Shit," Gohan swore, as a large crack appeared under his boot.

"We've got to get that water flowing!" Videl cried, realising the impending danger and running into the flames.

"Videl wait!" he yelled after her; as infuriating as the girl may have been, he still didn't want to see her get hurt.

The flames were wilder now; reaching above the rooftop and entrapping them. Various snaps and pop's could be heard below as windows shattered under the pressure. Gohan caught up to Videl in an instant, just as she began to turn the valve in front of the tank.

"Ouch!" she yelped, the metal hot under her palms.

"Here, let me," offered Gohan, scooting to the side of her.

"Get off!" she shouted, shoving him back.

"Stop being so effing stubborn!" Gohan growled, the smoke getting thicker, "We can't release the valve anyway until all the people are out!"

Videl gave him an enraged look, but said nothing; instead, she wiped her sweating brow with her forearm.

"Look, its too much for you," he sighed, "maybe you should-"

"Don't tell me what to do!" she yelled, "You know nothing about me!"

"I know you're not fire proof!" he shot back, but couldn't help but notice the angry tears that had sprung up in her eyes.

 **Beep Beep.**

 **Beep Beep.**

Gohan's watch sounded, startling him a little. "Hello?" he asked uncertainly, half expecting it to be Bulma.

" _Mister Gold Fighter? Er is that you?"_

"Speaking," said Gohan, as Videl gave him a curious stare.

 _"Ah good, it seems you_ ** _are_** _receiving our frequencies," the voice spoke, it was the fire officer, "Rodney here, just letting you know that my team have scoured the building but only managed to get as far as the fourteenth floor before having to turn back. I don't think there'll be any survivors above that floor, we've done all we can."_

"Thanks Sir."

 _"Wishing you and Miss Videl the best of luck. It's all your's son."_

Without waiting for Videl to comment, Gohan powered up; his golden aura engulfing his frame and blowing away the licking flames, allowing the pair a clearer work space to release the valve.

Videl gasped as her hair whipped around her from the force, although it wasn't enough to send her skidding backwards. The girl held her position in front of the water tank, her eyes fixated on the glowing saiyan.

"Right, lets-" Gohan started, gripping onto the hot wheel of the valve before a piercing scream cut through over the roar of the flames. Videl seemed to notice it too, her eyes widening in horror.

"Mummy! Mummy help meeeee!" a small cry called out from below.

The young saiyan's heart sank; feeling for the ki belonging to the small child and discovering it a few feet below them. With his eyes darting to the girl next to him, he ordered; "Videl, stay here and get that valve open! I'll come back for you!"

Videl swallowed thickly, before nodding.

Shooting her a winning smile, Gohan ran to the edge of the roof; his aura protecting him from the flames as he went. In a swift movement; he dived, spiralling towards the small energy a couple of stories below. He panicked a little, as he took sight of the child clutching onto the edge of a balcony, which looked as though it was about to collapse any minute.

He stopped, floating in front of the balcony as the child took sight of him. It was a little girl, and she looked to be around Trunks' age. Her wispy blonde hair was covered in dirt and ash, as well as her polka dot dress that covered her tiny frame. Tears poured down her reddened cheeks; but she stopped as soon as she caught sight of the young super saiyan in front of her. Her big brown eyes looked at him in surprise and awe, as he held out a gloved hand towards her.

"Hi there," said Gohan, as she backed away from his hand, "What's your name?"

To Gohan's dismay, fear quickly replaced her awe; "My mummy says I'm not allowed to talk to strangers."

"Well I know, hows about I tell you my name and then you tell me yours, then we won't be strangers," he spoke carefully. One wrong move and the little girl could run back into the building, and debris had already started to crumble from around the window panes.

"I know who _you_ are," she said boldly, "You're the goldie fighty man. And Mummy says you're not very nice! "

Gohan sighed, this wasn't going very well. "Look, can you keep a secret?"

As he predicted, the girl looked at him with a sudden interest.

Just as gullible as Goten; he thought, though she still seemed a little hostile towards the him. "Why don't I tell you my name, my _real_ name and you won't have to be scared anymore."

She seemed hesitant, her chubby hands grasping onto the railings tightly. So Gohan did the only thing he could think of; and in a last ditch effort, pressed the button on his earpiece and allowed the visor to disappear from his face.

"Hi, I'm Gohan," he said with a small smile, floating a little closer towards her.

The girl looked at him curiously, before; to Gohan's relief, she broke out into a cheery grin; "You've got pwretty eyes."

"Well thank you," he grinned back, bowing to her comically and causing the girl to laugh, "Now may I ask the name of the fair young maiden?"

"Maddie," she giggled, "My names not a secret, but I'll keep your's Mister Gohan."

"That's good to know," he smiled, silently wondering what was keeping Videl so long; he hoped she was alright, "Now why don't we find your Mummy? I'm sure she's very worried about you."

Maddie studied his outstretched palm once more, before slipping her hand into his and allowing him to pull her from the balcony. Just as he tucked her to his chest, the railings caved in; the weight of which causing the patio doors to crumble and sending an enormous crack running towards the roof.

Suddenly, a shriek sounded from above him and the young saiyan swore under his breath. "Hold on tight Maddie!" He barked, shifting the girl onto his shoulders and throwing his visor back down. Maddie squeaked with sheer delight as he careened into the air and hurtled towards the rooftop, her hands entwined into his hair.

As he reached the top of the crumbling complex, it didn't take him long to catch sight of Videl. To his horror, the girl was still struggling to release the valve; which had started to sink into the floor. True to her stubborn nature, she didn't move; even when Gohan realised the heavy water tank was about to collapse on top of her.

"Bollocks," he spat, gathering momentum and speeding towards her.

Videl's sapphire gaze snapped towards him as he shouted her name in desperation. The water tank creaked and quivered; and was just about to crush her when Gohan wrapped an arm around her waist and blasted into the air.

Without missing a beat, the young saiyan spun around, gathering a ball of blue ki in his palm and firing at the tank. "HAAA!" He cried, and with a sonic boom, the water tank exploded; sending its contents spilling over the entire complex, gushing through shattered windows and broken doors and dousing out the fire completely.

Gohan sighed, lowering himself and the two girls back towards the awaiting crowd. The building was still standing, to his relief, as water trickled lightly from it's windows and cracks. He excepted there to be utter pandemonium when he reached the ground, but as soon as his boots tapped upon the pavement, he was greeted with an unusual stunned silence.

The young saiyan looked towards them expectantly; when all of a sudden, a slow clapped sounded from somewhere near the barricades. Soon, another joined in and then another until an all out round of applause rang around the industrial park accompanied by a sudden roar of cheers and jovial laughter.

The noise had also caught Videl off guard, who was currently nestled against his chest. Her fingernails dug deep into his bodice and her eyes squeezed tightly shut; she looked up in shock and leaped from Gohan's strong arms. Gohan raised an eyebrow as she frowned, averting her gaze away from him.

"My baby!" a woman cried as she pushed her way forward from the crowds. She was a portly woman, with the same blonde wispy hair as Maddie; it had to be her mother. "Oh my goodness!" she sobbed, her eyes red and puffy and her dress covered in soot. She grabbed her from his shoulders, cradling her to her bosom. "Oh Maddie! It all happened so fast, I thought she was right behind me and- and you…"

She looked towards him in shock, "You saved her."

Gohan grinned, "Just trying to help ma'am."

"Mummy!" Maddie beamed, "It was so cool! Mister Goh-Gold Fighty Man flew us really _really_ high up!"

"He did?" her mother chuckled, "Well isn't that marvellous!"

"Uh huh!" said Maddie, "I wanna be a superhero just like him when I grow up!"

The woman gave a small burst of laugher; and to Gohan's surprise, placed a hand on his cheek, giving him a large watery smile, "Thank you."

He blushed under her motherly gesture, ignoring the sudden influx of flashing lights from the paparazzi cameras. He was really hoping that his visor was hiding his crimson cheeks when a loud cough broke through the happy cheers.

"Stand aside madam," The police sergeant spoke, walking briskly behind him where Gohan felt cool metal clamp around his wrists.

"But Sergeant!" the woman started, as a collective gasp surrounded the scene, "You can't, he just saved my daughter's life!"

"I'm sorry Madam," he spoke gruffly, standing back from the now handcuffed super saiyan, "But rules are rules. This boy is still a wanted criminal."

"But-!" she protested, before Gohan cut across her.

"Don't worry ma'am," he said, "Like the sergeant said, rules _are_ rules after all."

And before anyone could make a move, the halfling tugged on his restraints, causing them to shatter from the sheer force of his strength. Bringing up his now free hands, Gohan smirked, "I just never pay much attention to them."

With a triumphant wink, the young saiyan kicked off from the ground and shot into the sky; his golden energy streaking through the dark, smoke filled clouds. He made his way back towards the mountains he called home, taking time in his flight. He couldn't help but feel as though The Gold Fighter had had a successful outing, he and Videl had even managed to work together!

As the sun began to dip low over the horizon, the young saiyan smiled to himself, he was in a good mood, he was even willing to let the fact that a little girl called him a superhero instead of a vigilante.

Just this once.


	8. Golden Fever

**Chapter Seven**

 **Golden Fever**

 **xxxx**

By Gohan's calculations, the world had officially gone mad. The media weren't helping of course, and after seeing The Gold Fighter rescue both a little girl _and_ Videl Satan from a burning collapsing building, well he had gone from being nothing but a meddling kid to an outright superhero in little more than twenty-four hours.

News reports had blown up with eye witnesses and snapshots of the scene that had took place on the industrial estate. The most memorable one was of Gohan blasting apart the water tower whilst holding Videl and Maddie, his aura ignited around him, his hair blowing backwards from the force the impact had made, the blue hue of ki contrasting brilliantly with the amber glare of the fire; it had quickly made its way onto posters and the internet, and was the current 'image' of the golden haired teenager.

Of course, Mister Satan had spoken out about the ordeal; branding him a show off and a trickster, also stating he should - _"…keep his grubby paws away from my daughter! I saw the way he was holding onto her! Filthy boy! I'll rip his skinny little arms off!"_ yet said daughter had refused to comment on the situation to Gohan's surprise. Although it seemed Videl was very friendly with the police, she never did interviews and walked away from the press when they said anything too personal.

One of the things to come out from the media frenzy was the love story they had concocted around him and the champ's daughter. Even though the notion was completely ridiculous, he couldn't help but tease her about it, which positively infuriated the girl; possibly more so that the sudden rush of love that the public had for his alter ego.

Soon enough, July was upon them; as was the small gathering at Kame House that Krillin had organised for Marron's second birthday. Gohan hadn't visited the small house amongst the southern isles for a while, and had been ordered by his mother to pack his swimming shorts and suntan lotion as the scorching sun would be relentless.

It was the hottest day of the year, and the young saiyan was rather looking forward to an afternoon off in the sun. He hadn't spoken much to Krillin and the other's since the argument a few weeks ago; if he could call it that, it was more Gohan just yelling at them. Still, Krillin had called that morning to see if his mother wouldn't mind bringing more food to cater for the Saiyan's, and had seemed quite cheery over the phone.

With his bag packed and sunglasses on, the young saiyan was all ready to go; before a final check of his appearance in the mirror of course. He could hear his mother yelling at her son's to hurry up from downstairs; which was unusual for Goten, he was usually the first out the door as soon as he learned he would be spending the day with Trunks.

Rolling his eyes at his mother's exasperated cries, he decided to fetch his little brother himself. Goten's bedroom was the one opposite his, and had been previously used as an extra study room for Gohan before his birth. Kami knows why Gohan needed a room besides his own to study in, but his mother was a bit of a nutcase.

He knocked the door; something that Goten had yet to learn much to Gohan's chargin. That kid wouldn't know what privacy if it bit him in the nose.

"Goten?" Gohan called when he received no answer.

"Goten! Come on let's go! We're going to be late!" he said again with mild annoyance. He frowned, when he could hear small bursts of laughter and odd noises coming from behind the door.

"Goten?" Gohan said tentatively, grasping the doorknob and twisting it open.

And it was then did the young saiyan realise just how far the golden fighter fever had gotten.

There his little brother was, his eyes alight with glee as he sat amongst his messy bedroom. Toys, books and clothes were strewn everywhere, his bed unmade and the sheets spilling from the mattress and onto the floor. He would have never have gotten away with this chaos when he was Goten's age. Still his mother had either turned a blind eye or given up, Goten's room hadn't been tidy since he had learned to walk. It was painted a cool duck egg blue colour, with several shelves holding family photographs and books lining the walls. Although Goten had further decorated it with his own scribbles that Chi-Chi had failed to scrub off.

Goten, oblivious to the fact that he was sat in a pigsty and still not dressed for the day; was busy playing with his action figures, one that Gohan hadn't seen before. He had endlessly been subjected to running around the garden with his sibling and Superman, Batman, Ironman and Co.; he secretly enjoyed it, but would never admit it out loud.

Despite the teenager's firm knowledge of Goten's figurines, he didn't recognise the one that the boy had grasped tightly in his hand, swooping it high and low, blowing out his cheeks to make loud whooshing noises. That is, until Goten exclaimed, "Do dooo doo doooooooo! I am The Gold Fighter! You will never stop me! Ha ha!"

"Goten, where did you get that?" Gohan sweated, praying Bulma had manufactured one for some kind of sick joke. The figurine was exactly like him; standing about eight inches tall, the super saiyan hair was unmistakable, including the black bodice and navy armoured chest plate. The tiny visor covered the majority of the face, just like his did; and even had his lean muscle, unlike the usual bulky figures Goten owned.

The three year old grinned wildly, noticing his elder brother's presence, "Grandpa Ox brought it for me! Cool huh?"

"Er…" he mustered hopelessly, as Goten continued to zoom his mini alter ego around. He sighed, of course their grandfather brought it, he couldn't see Chi-Chi allowing it in the house. "Please tell me he brought it from a special shop somewhere deep in the mountains and that they're really _really_ rare."

"Nope!" said Goten happily, "From the supermarket in East City! They're _everywhere_ Gohan! Trunks has one too! I even asked Grandpa if I could get Marron one for her birthday."

"Thats…nice."

Goten grinned, "He even talks Gohan!"

"Of course he does," Gohan drawled as the young boy stood up, pressing a little button on the figure's back.

" _Stop thieves!"_ the mini super saiyan shouted in what the teen thought was an awful imitation of his voice.

"How original," scoffed the halfling, "does he say anything else?"

"Oh yeah!" Goten babbled excitedly, "Listen!"

" _I will roundhouse kick you in the face!"_

 _"Whatever your reaching for better be a sandwich, because you're gonna have to it eat!"_

 _"Drop your weapon, else I'll stick it up your arse and turn you into a lollipop!"_

"That one's my favourite," Goten grinned, cuddling the figurine to his chest.

Gohan sighed, "Thought as much."

 **xxxx**

When the family of three finally arrived at Kame House, the rest of the Z-gang were already there. The summer sun certainly had everyone in a good mood, the atmosphere relaxing and inviting. The party had moved outside; Ox-King was setting up the barbecue whilst everyone else relaxed on the beach. Goten, Trunks and Marron were running around the sand with their Gold Fighter figurines, much to Gohan's dismay and the Z-Fighter's amusement. His mother was unpacking sandwiches on a picnic blanket with Puar and Launch, Yamcha and Krillin were sat at the table drinking beer whilst Eighteen and Bulma watched the children play.

Tien and Chaiozu were chatting with Ox-King next to the fire pit whilst Piccolo meditated in the shade beside them. Vegeta had also been forced along, and was currently brooding up the side of the house. A television had been run through to the beach; where Roshi, Oolong and Turtle were watching their favourite programme, their eyes glued to the screen.

" _One, two, three and four! Come on girls work it!_ "

Gohan snorted as he settled himself one of the deck chairs; like everyone else, he was donned in his swimming trunks, allowing the warm sun to beat against his skin. He closed his eyes beneath his sunglasses, inhaling the sea air and listening the waves wash against the shore.

"Yeah thats it ladies!" Master Roshi gawped, the scantily dressed women raising their legs high into the air, "Show me what you've got!"

"Honestly, and at a two year old's birthday party," Chi-Chi tutted, shooting the three a glare.

"Oh don't be like that Chi-Chi!" Roshi grinned, tearing his gaze away from the television, "You need to relax; wind down, trade in that one piece your wearing for a skimpy little two piece-"

 **CLANG**

Gohan was thankful she had brought her trusty frying pan; Yamcha's comments about his mother's attire was already enough to make him shudder.

Though much to Gohan's delight, the gang were giving him a wide birth; although his outburst hadn't been mentioned, he felt as though it was a little strained between them. Only Vegeta had let a snide comment escape his lips about their training, to which the teen had told him to stuff it; using much more colourful phrasing.

The tantalising aroma of charcoaled meats wafted through the air, as well as the laughter from the three youngsters. He didn't really mind that no one was paying attention to him; no fighting, no teasing and certainly no 'let me tell you the story of your dead father when'. The young saiyan sighed deeply, basking in the sun and enjoying the current solitude he found himself in. Sleep began to overcome him; he was so tired, worries of training and school slipping to the back of his mind.

"CANNON BALL!"

 **SPLASH**

Gohan was rudely awakened by a loud shriek, followed by what felt like a ton of water being poured over his head. Coughing and spluttering, and attempting to expel the large amount of sea water he had inhaled, he turned; his murderous glare settling on two little half saiyan's.

"Uh oh," said Trunks as he and Goten floated in the water.

Sodden, and ignoring little Marron's giggles from the shore, Gohan roared; "YOU LITTLE BERKS! YOU HAD BETTER START SWIMMING!"

"ARGH!" The troublesome duo screamed, before the peeved teenager dived into the ocean after them, oblivious to his mother's irate shouts and raucous laughter from the gang.

He caught up to them quickly, colliding into them underwater and attempting to grab hold of them. But their little limbs were too slippery, and the salty water had got into his eyes. It had turned into a whirlpool of halfling's; and Gohan was getting increasingly fed up with having Trunks' foot wedged into his ribs. Powering up with an almighty blast of water, the young saiyan erupted into his super saiyan form, blowing the two youngster's out of the ocean.

With a growl, Gohan blasted up towards them; when he suddenly felt an unpleasant draft down below.

Trunks and Goten snickered as the teenager stopped midair; the purple haired prince holding up a pair of familiar looking swimming shorts in his hand.

"You snooze you loose Gohan!" Trunks grinned maliciously.

Goten giggled, "You were right Twrunks he did fall for it!"

"You little-!" Gohan spluttered angrily, before a shout came from the beach.

"Oi Gohan! Is that The Gold Fighter's secret weapon?! Blimey, how'd you manage to hide that thing?!"

The young saiyan yelped at Krillin's words, throwing his hands in front of himself and shooting a glare towards the beach. Every male in the vicinity was roaring their heads off, including his grandfather; whilst Eighteen had slapped a hand over Marron's eyes. His mother and Piccolo looked positively forlorn, he couldn't even look Bulma and Launch in the eye.

Snatching his shorts back from a distracted Trunks and Goten, Gohan landed back on the sandy beach to light chortling escaping his so called 'friends'.

"Shut up!" he yelled hotly, his shorts covering his modesty. With that, he waltzed up to the patio doors and swung it open, leaving the Z-gang laughing all the more behind him.

The teenager felt like holing himself up in the spare bedroom for the rest of the evening; that is, until Oolong had managed to coax him down, as well as his rumbling stomach. Unfortunately for Gohan, the gang had started to loosen up towards him again, and were quick to to remind him that he had subsequently flashed the entire beach.

"Hey Gohan, seriously mate good for you!"

"Piss off Yamcha," the halfling growled, making his way to the buffet table.

He _was_ in a good mood; he relented, piling his plate ridiculously high with food and sitting a few feet away from everyone else in front of the roaring fire. But of course Gohan felt as though he could never get any peace. He was more embarrassed that he had managed to give Bulma, Eighteen and Launch a good eyeful.

The bonfire was casting shadows amongst them, the sun beginning to set and the tide steadily going out away from the beach. Gohan had been silent for the past half an hour, only half listening to the conversation around him. He was bored, and had already changed back into his normal clothes of jeans and a t-shirt, and was about to use the excuse of needing the loo for the fourth time when his phone chimed from in between his crossed legs.

 _'OMG you have to get over here now!'_ The text message read, ' _I've got something to show you!'_

It was from Lime, and the phrasing of such a message caused the halfling to smirk, _'Please tell me it's a nipple piercing.'_ He replied, and a second later chimed the girl's reply.

' _Why don't you come and find out? ;)'_

Grinning to himself, Gohan stood up suddenly, catching the eye of the group, "I've got to go!"

Several of the gang exchanged glances as the teen gathered his things.

"Where on Earth are you going?" his mother enquired.

"Oh, you know, to do Gold Fighter stuff," he lied, tossing his duffle bag over his shoulder.

Bulma frowned, "But your watch didn't make a sound."

"It didn't?!" The teenager gasped in mock disbelief, "Wow, I must be psychic or something!"

"Gohan…" Piccolo's stern voice cut through the air.

"Can't stay and chat Mr. Piccolo, people dying and all," he grinned wickedly.

"Gohan if this is about earlier," Krillin piped up guiltily, "We didn't mean -"

The teenager scoffed, "I'm already over it, and anyway, I think you'll all agree that I have _nothing_ to be ashamed of."

Leaving them in a stunned silence, Gohan gave the gang mock salute, "See you later!"

"SON GOHAN YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" his mother yelled as his white aura built up around him and he blasted into the sky.

As Gohan flew over Chazke Village, he was thoroughly disappointed to find that Lime's ki was nowhere near her bedroom. Instead, he found it hovering within Mister Lao's garage around the back of the house, which was unusual. It was more of a converted wooden shed, in which he stored tools and other miscellaneous items. Gohan had only been in there once to fetch the lawnmower.

But when he pushed open the rickety door, he was surprised to find his best friend in the middle of the garage, standing proudly next to the saddest looking motorcycle he had ever seen. It looked as though it had once been light blue in colour; although it was difficult to tell from the rust. One wheel was completely flat whilst the other tire was missing altogether. The seat was worn and the stuffing bursting from the leather, the handle bars caked in rust and dirt. There was no licence plate and the silver exhaust cylinders were covered in mud.

"Isn't it amazing?!" Lime beamed, leaning on one of the handles, "My Dad gave it to me as an early birthday present!"

Lime was the eldest in their year, and would be turning sixteen at the beginning of September.

"Your Dad?" Gohan blinked, "Since when did he remember your birthday?"

The red head ignored him, instead patted the worn leather seat lovingly, "Apparently thats why he's been ringing the house lately. He brought it over whilst I was out cropping the fields! He was going to wait till I finished but he had to get back to work."

Gohan snorted, "Back to being a thieving git you mean."

"Oh come on Gohan be nice," Lime grinned, "Its the first present I've ever had from them for as long as I can remember! And before you ask; no, he didn't nick it, it used to be his when he was my age."

The young saiyan sighed, walking over to the bike and inspecting it, "And will you be pushing it around? Because I doubt it'll even start."

The girl frowned, whacking him over the head, "That's where you come in smart arse. You're going to help me fix it!"

"Since when did I get roped into this?" he scoffed, rubbing his skull.

"Since you're my best friend and are a mega boy genius," she stated.

Gohan smirked, "Don't forget dashing and handsome."

"I swear, since you've become loved by all you've become unbearably arrogant," Lime said, rolling her eyes. "So what do you reckon? Can you fix it up?"

The young saiyan paced around the bike, eyeing it up and down thoughtfully. "Yeah, I think I can do something with it, might have to pinch a few things off Bulma though."

"Yes!" Lime squealed excitedly, wrapping her arms around his neck, "This is going to be ace! Think of all the fun we'll have!"

"You mean all the trouble we'll get into," he smiled, his arms encircling her waist.

She giggled, nuzzling his nose with hers, "Would you have it any other way?"

"Hmm," Gohan thought for a moment, before pressing his lips firmly against hers.

"Well that's one way," she murmured into the kiss.

To Gohan's annoyance, their snogging session was shortly cut off by a loud buzzing coming from his pocket. Sighing, he took out his phone and pressed the cancel button before shoving it back into his jeans.

"Your Mum?" asked Lime with a small smile.

"Who else?" he said glumly, "I kind of skipped out of Marron's birthday party."

Lime's eyes widened, "You did? Oh Gohan I feel awful for dragging you out, I completely forgot you were there I was so excited! You should go back!"

"Nah," said Gohan, shaking his head, "You were much more important."

The girl gave him a wicked smile, before turning on her heel and grasping the handles of the bike.

"So how come your Dad is trying to get back into your life all of a sudden?" asked Gohan, moving closer to her.

Lime shrugged, "Dunno, suppose he must feel bad for not being there for me my whole life."

"Sounds like he's having a midlife crisis if you ask me," he scorned.

"Nobody asked you," she frowned, hitting him playfully in the chest, "Granddad says I shouldn't bother with him, but I dunno; he did give me a pretty bike."

Gohan gave her a pointed look.

"It _will_ be pretty," she pressed, "After you've worked your magic of course."

"I'll try my best," he chuckled, before a thought crossed his mind, "But all I'm saying is just be careful Lime, I don't want you to get hurt by your parents again."

"Ah thats all in the past," Lime smiled, waving him off, "I'm a big girl now, I can handle it."

Gohan smiled back. He certainly hoped so; they were both a mess right after the Cell Games, he wasn't sure that either of them could go through that rejection again.

"Now that you've finished with your lecturing, blondie," Lime grinned, taking her hands off the motorcycle and smoothing them over his chest and shoulders; "Hows about you turn off that phone of yours and bolt those doors so Gramps doesn't barge in, or do you have something to say about that too?"

Gohan smirked, acting out the motion of zipping his lips, locking them and throwing away the key.

 **xxxx**

Gohan was very glad to find an excuse to spending more time with Lime; especially seen as his mother was still going mental about him leaving Marron's party. In all honesty, he didn't really see the problem; Marron was already in bed by the time he had left. He had had numerous texts from Krillin and Yamcha asking him to come round; worried that they had upset him in some way. Gohan and simply replied that if they had a problem with the size of his down below's, then they should seriously consider taking their own John Thomas' to see a plastic surgeon.

They hadn't messaged him since.

Luckily for him, Bulma hadn't mentioned anything about the ordeal when he had gone over to ask for some equipment to fix up Lime's motorcycle; although she did have an amused glint in her eye when she answered the door to him.

Apart from school, Gohan had spent the past week at the Lao's in front of the old shed; the scorching sun beating down on him as he laid under the rusty bike. There was a lot of work to do to the engine it seemed, and Gohan had practically constructed a new one out of the old parts; something that Mister Lao was particularly enthralled by.

Lime didn't pretend to know anything about the mechanics of it all, but that didn't stop her from laying out in the sunshine with Gohan; sipping on lemonade as she relaxed in her bikini top and denim shorts. The redhead threw a suggestive comment or two at him as he basted under the heat, taking off his shirt when it got too oiled and sweaty.

It seemed they had gotten all the more closer recently, and Gohan was in his element. Everything was going great; that was until the next training session with Vegeta.

"Pathetic!"

Gohan panted from where he had dropped out of his transformation, sweat poured from his brow and intermingled with the blood from a nasty graze on his cheek. Spitting out a mouthful of blood and saliva onto the ground, the teenager looked up at the seething super saiyan in front of him.

In recent weeks, he could feel himself getting back up to speed and Vegeta and Piccolo could see it too. Gohan was able to evade Vegeta's attacks much easier, his stamina was improving and he was turning up to school with a lot less bruising. He was making so much progress, that Vegeta had decided to step up their training, and move from their base form to their super saiyan form. Unfortunately for Gohan, the sudden jump was too much for him to handle, and the gaps in his training were starting to show.

"You're worse in your super saiyan form than you are in base!" The prince growled, "How does that even happen?!"

Gohan shrugged, clambering shakily to his feet and wiping more blood from his lip. His head was pounding from where Vegeta had struck him, and he was starting to feel sick.

"I-I think I need a break," said Gohan tiredly, "I think I've got a concussion."

Vegeta was so shocked that he lost his transformation; his golden hair returning to its usual black. "A break! A BREAK?! This is exactly where you have been slacking boy! When it all gets too tough for you, you go for a nap, well let me tell you this brat, there are no time for breaks in battle!"

The teenager rolled his eyes, "I have _been_ in battles incase you haven't noticed, I know how it works. What, you think Cell destroyed himself did you?"

"He did once," Vegeta said in a dark tone, "When you were busy fooling around and not finishing the job like your father told you to. You were sloppy then, and you're sloppy now."

Gohan gaped, his anger rising; suddenly, he didn't feel so sick any more, "Oh like you can talk, you're too blinded by your arrogant pride to realise the repercussions of _your_ actions in a fight!"

"I've learned from my mistakes," the prince replied dangerously, "I see you still haven't learned from yours. Just how long are you planning on pining over Kakarot to avoid releasing your true power?"

"You're a real prick, you know that?" Gohan seethed, spinning on his heel and walking towards the gravity chamber door.

"Watch your language boy, what would your father say if he heard you speaking like that? I'd bet he'd be just as disappointed as I am."

Gohan halted in his tracks, his heart pounding heavily in his ears, " _What_ did you say?"

"Don't tell me your insufferable weakness has affected your hearing too," coaxed Vegeta, "Honestly, I'm beginning to envy Kakarot in the afterlife, I know _I_ wouldn't want to waste a wish on having to deal with the weakling you've become."

Gohan snapped, he was shaking with anger. He was fed up with Vegeta always putting him down, despite what he had achieved so far. He was fed up with the fact that this was Piccolo's idea, and all he had done was stood by and watched as the prince had beat him to the ground. He already was fed up with Shu spouting rubbish about his father; and what's more, he didn't _need_ Vegeta telling him what a disappointment he had become. Gohan already knew that, that's the reason why his father didn't want to come back!

The gravity room lights began to surge, as Gohan's energy began to spike, his eyes flashing green as new found power began to emit from his being. A golden aura engulfed his frame as his long hair changed to gold, then black, then gold again.

Thoughts of his father whirred around his mind, the image of the man saying goodbye for the last time, the pure agony Gohan felt as he disappeared with the bugling semi-perfect Cell, never to be seen again. He had left Gohan all alone. His mother didn't understand, Piccolo didn't understand, and worst of all, his father didn't understand how much he needed him.

His power exploded and his aura cracked, bolts of electricity snapped and licked at his aura as his long hair spiked even further, leaving a stubborn bang wavering over his face. Gohan yelled, as the energy flooded his body, his veins pulsated with pure rage, the muscles in his left arm burned and ached but he had to let it come forth, he couldn't contain it anymore.

The last thing he heard was Vegeta's sudden roar, before everything went black.

 **xxxx**

The first thing Gohan noticed when he awoke, was just how much pain he was in. He slowly creaked open his eyelids, only to be greeted with a bright white ceiling, that is, until a frantic pair of blue eyes suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Argh!" the teenager yelped, sitting upright in the bed he was in, "Ow! Ow ow ow, bollocks, fuck, shit, ow!"

"Are you finished?" Bulma chuckled, as Gohan winced in pain.

Composing himself, the young saiyan noticed that he was in the medical unit at Capsule Corp. It was small and relatively simple, with only four beds and some cabinets lining the white washed walls. Usually, it would only be used if there was any lab or factory related injuries for the employees, but since Gohan had started training with Vegeta, he had ended up in the unit a lot more times than he would have cared to admit.

With his eyes darting around the room, he suddenly realised that Bulma was accompanied by the rest of the Z-Fighters; Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Piccolo and Chaiozu, all of them wearing expressions of concern, worry and was that, excitement?

Confused, Gohan scratched his head, only just realising that he had a bandage wrapped around it. "Okay, what the hell happened, and why are you lot here?"

"Gohan," Piccolo spoke, "Don't you remember what happened?"

The teenager thought for a moment, but couldn't for the life of him remember anything past Vegeta yelling at him. He couldn't even remember what he said.

"Kid, you ascended," his mentor informed him after Gohan merely shrugged in his direction.

"Ascended?" Gohan croaked, "You mean -?"

"You went super saiyan two mate!" Yamcha exclaimed excitedly.

Tien nodded, smiling, "We felt it all the way from the North, we thought some elite alien army was attacking the Earth or something."

"Turns out it was just you," Chaiozu laughed.

Gohan blinked, "Y-you mean I did it?"

Krillin nodded frantically, "We got here right after you passed out."

A burst of laughter escaped the young saiyan, he didn't even realise he would feel so proud of himself, "Oh yeah! I did it! HA! Suck it Vegeta!"

"Certainly not brat."

Gohan winced as the gruff voice of the Prince came from beside him, he didn't notice that he was it the bed next to him, sporting his own bandage tied around his head. Apart from that Vegeta didn't look too bad, save the small cuts and bruises that littered his body.

"Er I -" Gohan sweated nervously, before Vegeta cut across him.

"Looks like I misjudged you," he said with a smirk, "You still had all that power in you after all."

"Speaking of all that power," Bulma interrupted her eyes narrowing at Gohan, "As much as I'm pleased for you and all kid, I'd just like to know - WHO THE HELL IS GOING TO REBUILD ANOTHER GRAVITY ROOM, BECAUSE THIS PREGNANT GIRL ISNT! I'VE GOT ENOUGH TO DO!"

The occupants of the room all clapped their hands over their ears, except for Vegeta, who looked particularly unfazed.

"I don't see how it is anyone else's problem but your's woman," he scoffed, "It was your puny machine that couldn't handle the boy's power. I think it's time you upgraded it, how do you expect it to cope once _I_ achieve the transformation?"

"OH!" Bulma growled, turning to her husband, "AND JUST WHEN DO YOU EXPECT ME TO FIND THE TIME TO DO THAT WHEN I'M PREPARING TO GIVE BIRTH TO _YOUR_ CHILD?!"

As the two most stubborn people Gohan knew continued their argument, he couldn't help but allow a feeling of hope overwhelm him. "Piccolo?" the teenager whispered to his mentor, "If the gravity room's broken, that means we can't train until its fixed, right?"

Piccolo all but gave a sniff of disapproval.

"What a shame," Gohan mocked, ignoring his aching limbs and scooting to the edge of his bed, "and I was really looking forward to it too, oh well-"

 **CRASH**

Just as Gohan was about to leave, with the thought in mind to cut his evening at Capsule Corp. short to celebrate his achievement of proving Vegeta wrong with a visit to Lime's bedroom, did he attempt to put one foot on the floor and toppled over.

"Er, Gohan, you alright?" Krillin asked tentatively, the teen's sudden collapse causing Bulma and Vegeta's arguing to cease.

"Yep," Gohan said, a little muffled from were his face was kissing the floor, "Legs just haven't woken up yet."

With that, he clambered to his feet, but something was off, and as soon as he stood he completely lost his balance again and face planted the tiles.

"Ow what the-?!" Gohan yelled, grabbing onto a nearby cabinet to pull himself up. He stopped suddenly, when he realised everyone was giving him a wide eyed stare, "What?"

"Er, Gohan," Yamcha started, "I think you should look behind you."

"What is this, a pantomime?" the halfling seethed, deciding to humour them and look anyway. It took him a while to realise just what they were staring at, when something brown and furry waved in front of his face.

"ARGH!" Gohan cried, his sudden jump sending him crashing to the ground once more. "Shut up!" he roared, when everyone burst into laughter, "It's not funny!"

Apparently, they disagreed.

Gohan gaped, grabbing at the appendage that was most definitely attached, "M-my tail! But why did it grow back now? It hasn't grown back since I was like, eight!"

"A saiyan's tail is most likely to grow back when the body has reached prime hormonal compatibility into adolescence," Vegeta drawled from across the room.

"Meaning?" Gohan huffed in annoyance.

Vegeta smirked, "Meaning it can re-grow during puberty, brat."

"Fan-friggin-tastic," the teenager groaned, still holding onto his wagging tail as the Z-Fighter's continued to hysterics, even Piccolo was giving him an amused look.

Oh well, he mused as he sat hopelessly on the floor of the medical unit, at least he wouldn't have to train anytime soon.


	9. Slugs, Snails and Half-Saiyan Tails

**Chapter Eight**

 **Slugs, Snails and Half-Saiyan Tail's**

 **xxxx**

He should have known he wouldn't have gotten out of training that easily, honestly, this was Piccolo and Vegeta he was dealing with. He was willing to bet that even if he was dead they would hunt him down in Other World to do two hundred push ups, five hundred sit ups and twenty rounds of Kamehameha's.

So it wasn't surprising that the lack of a gravity chamber didn't stop them from relocating to the mountains near Gohan's home. That way, they could keep a better eye on him in Piccolo's words. Although the teenager was not too thrilled about the arrangement, his mother didn't seem to mind, as long as they were far enough to avoid shaking the house - she had lost enough china in the run up to the androids.

It took some time for Gohan to get used to the near constant presence of Vegeta and Piccolo, the Namekian had decided that it was time he made a commitment to helping the teenager master his transformation, but so far Gohan hadn't managed to contain his power without nearly causing an earthquake. Still, the pair were determined to train until all three of them were able to reach the level equivalent to a super saiyan two, and the halfling had been subjected to spending time with them in the mountains before and after school.

Despite the presence of the two Z-Fighter's, Gohan had gotten used to another constant, that of his tail. After his mother had nearly had a heart attack at the sight and Gohan had managed to get used to his balance, the young saiyan was elated to have it back in his life. It was incredibly useful to have around and he couldn't fathom just how he had gone so long without it. Lime thought it was brilliant of course, when she had gotten over her initial shock, and so far he had gotten away with concealing it underneath his school shirt.

His workload at school had also taken a sudden leap, and the teenager was currently ferrying mountains of practice papers to and from school. Although he didn't really need to study;,his truanting had become a thing of the past, there was no way he would get away with skipping school as easily when the fourth year exams were just around the corner.

Gohan was looking forward to when school broke up for the summer, he would have the whole of August to spend with Lime, that is, if Vegeta managed to ascend in time.

Another gruelling Saturday in the vast valleys behind Gohan's home, and he, Vegeta and Piccolo were making the short flight back when the teen spotted the very girl he had been thinking about all afternoon.

"Oi Gohan!" Lime called from the winding pathway leading up the hill to the Son house. She was waving frantically at him, her hair loose and reaching her waist. Her eyes were shielded by hot pink rimmed sunglasses, the rest of her attire comprised of jean shorts, an old band t-shirt cut at the midriff, biker gloves and converse. She beamed up at him from where she stood next to her motorcycle, that still desperately needed painting, though it was in a much better condition thanks to Gohan.

Avoiding Piccolo's curious stare, Gohan swooped down to greet her.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed. Although it was good to see her out of school, he was rather surprised to see her there. Lime had visited the house numerous times before, though it was always easier for Gohan to visit her. He didn't usually mind, but he was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable with Piccolo and Vegeta watching from afar.

"Isn't she amazing?!" She squealed, gripping tightly onto the handles, "This old girl can really move!"

"Hang on," Gohan quirked, "You rode that thing here?!"

"Of course I did," said Lime, rolling her eyes, "Well that is until about a mile that way when she packed in…"

" _Lime_ ," He groaned, "I told you it wasn't ready yet, you could have gotten hurt!"

The girl scoffed, "Well I couldn't just sit around waiting for you forever could I? Where have you been? I haven't seen you for ages!"

"It's only been a week Lime," said Gohan, "and I've seen you at school."

She sighed dramatically, "I couldn't bare it any longer! Not when my poor baby is sitting there without any love or attention!"

"Its not been that bad…"

Lime smacked him across the arm, "I was talking about the bike, not you, you idiot!"

Gohan stuck his tongue out at her, causing her to giggle.

"Oh _there_ you are Gohan!"

The teenager's turned as Chi-Chi came bustling out of the house, an apron tied around her waist and a tea towel in hand.

"And I thought I heard another voice," she grinned as she approached, engulfing Lime in a bone crushing hug, "Oh my dear Lime, its so good to see you!"

"Likewise Mrs Son," Lime breathed after she had been released.

Chi-Chi smiled, "And how many times have I told you to call me Chi-Chi, heaven knows you've known me long enough!"

The red head grinned.

"You must stay for dinner," continued Chi-Chi, "Its been a good month since you visited!"

"Oh I'd love to Chi-Chi, thanks!" she replied.

"Vegeta and Piccolo are staying too, and little Trunks is here, I bet its been a while since you've seen him hasn't it?" the older woman cooed, "Now run along and make yourself at home whilst I set things on the table, then you can tell me all about this death trap that my son's rebuilding for you."

With a wink to Gohan, Lime hurried inside, leaving his mother to round on him and scold him for being caked in mud. He even had to remove a snail that had somehow found its way into his hair.

After he had pushed the motorcycle to the garage, Gohan went for a quick wash before dinner. On his way back downstairs, he bumped into his best friend outside the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Gohan hissed quietly.

"Er, going to the loo…" she blinked.

"No, I mean what are you doing _here -_ and don't say that my Mum invited you because you know what I mean!" he added as the girl opened her mouth to retort.

Catching on, Lime rolled her eyes, "Oh do calm down Gohan, its not like I'm going to shag you on the dining table."

"Shh!" he hissed frantically, his eyes darting to the kitchen door, "Piccolo's ears aren't just for show you know!"

"Its just dinner Gohan," said Lime, "and don't you think its about time I met Piccolo and Vegeta? You're always going on about them. It'll be fun!"

Gohan stared after her as she scurried off to the bathroom. Maybe he was over thinking it, but with the way him and Lime had been recently, he couldn't help but think that at least Piccolo would notice that something was going on between the two of them.

His mother had outdone herself once again, but Gohan wasn't sure if everything just looked and smelled better because he had spent the majority of the day with his face in the dirt. To the young saiyan's relief, Vegeta had refrained from saying anything vulgar and was eating his meal in peace, whilst Piccolo was sat with his eyes closed and arms folded, occasionally unravelling them to take a sip of water.

Trunks and Goten were inhaling their meals as usual, the occupants of the kitchen used to bits of food flying everywhere and occasionally landing on their cheek. Chi-Chi was too busy gushing over Lime to scold them, she always did whenever the girl came to visit. She would ask of school, how her grandfather was and interrogate her as to why she wasn't around more often. Chi-Chi had taken a shine to Lime from day one. Gohan sighed, if only she knew.

"It's so nice to finally meet both of you," chirped Lime, when Chi-Chi had finally taken a break to have a bite of her salmon, "I've heard loads about you."

"Likewise," said Piccolo gruffly, as Vegeta ignored her altogether, "From what I hear you seem to be spending a lot of time together lately."

Gohan nearly choked on his mouthful of chicken pie, since when did Piccolo realise? He hoped Dende hadn't mentioned anything, he was going to break his springy little antenna off.

"Well I wouldn't say lately," Lime winked, "What with you pair dragging him off training here, there and everywhere. My poor bike still isn't finished!"

"Oh so now your just using me?" Gohan frowned, his tail waving around behind him playfully.

"Awh stop being so sensitive," she smiled, and Gohan found a sudden calm come over him. He relaxed as his tail tingled, sending shivers all the way up his spine.

It took him a moment to realise that Vegeta and Piccolo were giving him an odd look. He jumped, realising what Lime was doing.

"Will you _stop_ touching my tail!" Gohan growled, pulling the appendage out of her grasp, "It's sensitive!"

"But it's so fluffy!" she pouted, reaching for it again.

At the end of the table, Vegeta scoffed, "It wouldn't be so sensitive if you learned to train it."

"Oh give me a bloody break Vegeta," Gohan spat, "It's only just grown back!"

"Watch your language Gohan," his mother warned, "I don't want you to have a bad impression on Lime."

The teen gaped, as Lime smirked at him.

"Why don't we have tails and Gohan does?" Trunks chirped, suddenly interested, "You used to have a tail, and Goten's dad did, its not fair!"

Vegeta sighed, "A saiyan tail is a recessive trait."

"What does re-re-pestive mean?" Goten struggled, his wide eyes awaiting Vegeta's answer.

"It basically means that it was only by a small chance that I was born with a tail," informed Gohan.

"But why can't I have one?" asked Goten, "Gohan's is really really cool!"

Several arguments back and forth later, and it was time for Lime to head home. As her motorcycle was currently knackered, they had called Icarus for a lift. Lime hated Nimbus with a passion as he went to fast and high for her liking. Gohan promised to fix the bike morning and bring it round, but only under the promise she wouldn't use it anytime soon.

"Well you'd better hurry up and get a shift on," said Lime after Gohan had laid down the conditions, "I'm supposed to be picking up my Dad a week Monday from East City."

"Your Dad?" asked Gohan sceptically.

Lime nodded, "Yeah, spoke on the phone all morning to him today, he seemed really nice. He wants to take me out for a fancy dinner."

"And he can't drive to you?" he frowned.

"You know what Gramps is like," she sighed, "Dad doesn't think its a good idea to come to the village, and he really wants to see what you've done with the bike. I told him all about you you know."

Gohan raised an eyebrow, "You have?"

"Well I may have left out the gory details." she winked, lifting her foot onto Icarus' large wing so he could help her up.

"Alright I'll do my best to do it up in time," he smiled up at her, "I might be able to bat my eyelashes at Piccolo to let me off training for a day tomorrow."

"Great!" she beamed, casting her blue eyes up to the sky, "I'd better go before it gets dark. See you tomorrow?"

Gohan nodded, giving Icarus a quick scratch on the snout; "See you."

With a low growl, the young dragon stretched his wing span fully, before tilting his head up towards the amber sky and lifting off into the air.

The young saiyan watched them until they disappeared before heading back inside. When he sat back down in his seat at the table, he realised Vegeta and Piccolo were giving him an amused glance.

"What?" Gohan scowled.

Vegeta, true to form, spoke outright, "Is she your girlfriend brat?"

"What?! No!" he spluttered hotly.

"Well you seemed pretty close," the prince teased, "I thought you were interested in Satan's daughter?"

"Are we really doing this?" Gohan whined. He really didn't want to have a conversation about his love life with Piccolo and Vegeta, especially not when his mother was present. He was more astounded that Vegeta of all people would believe the utter nonsense that had been circulating the news recently. The media were keen to exploit any hint of a love affair between The Gold Fighter and Videl Satan. The most recent picture they had managed to take was of him and Videl at a heist about a week previous. The image showed the golden haired teen leaning casually up the wall of a bank, whilst Videl leaned in close, their noses almost touching.

He couldn't even remember what they were talking about, he was most likely teasing her about something whilst she was preparing to yell at him. Of course that was not what the press had seen at all, and were busy printing the headlines, ' _Did Satan City's favourite love birds kiss?! Find out on page 6!'_

"Nonsense!" Chi-Chi flapped, starting to gather up empty plates, "My Gohan hasn't got time for girls. What with in between training with you two and studying for his exams, he's not even interested! Are you?"

"Um, no Mum, course not," Gohan said slowly, as all eyes averted to him.

"See?" His mother said smugly to Vegeta, "My baby is too young for girlfriends. I'll have less of you trying to put such vulgar ideas into his head."

 **xxxx**

To Gohan's surprise and elation, Piccolo did indeed let him have the next day off training, giving him the whole day to spend finishing Lime's bike. When Gohan had asked if the Namekian had hit his head or something, he simply replied that he should have a day off now and again, and that Lime was a 'nice girl'. Whatever the bloody hell that meant.

But the teenager didn't question it, instead using all this energy in getting the motorcycle in working order. He was finished by mid-morning, and was thoroughly pleased with his handiwork. He had touched up the blue paint work, replaced the aged leather seat, the engine was now as modern as Capsule Corps. top models, with silver cylinders running along the bodice. The handle bars were free of rust and dirt, and the wheels brand new. He was so pleased with it that he drove it all the way to Chazke Village; which he was a bit apprehensive about at first, he had never driven anything in his life.

It took him a couple of miles to get used to the way it handled, the engine was very powerful and gave an almighty roar whenever he revved it. Lime loved it, and was so pleased she snogged him right outside the her grandfather's shop, luckily Mister Lao came out to inspect the bike after she had released him.

With school in the day and Gohan's training every morning and night; the pair had taken to riding around the mountains in the early hours. They would sneak out and walk with the bike to the outskirts of the city before revving it up and taking off. Lime did most of the driving; it was hers after all and she needed to get used to it before driving all the way to East City.

They had been out three nights in a row since Gohan had fixed it and though they were awfully tired for school the next day; the young saiyan couldn't believe how at peace he felt. The fact that Piccolo and Vegeta were constantly pushing him to his limits didn't matter when he was out with Lime. They would ride miles away from anyone and anything, sit amongst the cool blades of grass whilst sharing a pack of cigarettes; trying to make out the constellations in the stars.

Unfortunately for Gohan, due to the fact that Lime wasn't spending _her_ evenings getting the living snot beaten out of her; she wasn't as tired and irritable as he was when they had to sit through a whole Wednesday afternoon of Shu.

 _"Sit your five Zeni ass down before I make change!"_

"Lime, please get that thing out of my face," Gohan groaned, as his so called best friend tapped her new favourite action figure on his head. "And for the record, I don't think I have ever said that; they're just making stuff up now."

"Oh come on I think its funny!" she whispered, stroking the Gold Fighter figurine on the head, "And you were falling to sleep again."

Gohan failed to stifle a huge yawn, "Well I can't help it that I was up at five am this morning powering up to super saiyan over and over. My energy is drained."

The girl merely hummed, making The Gold Fighter dance around her desk; " _Do that again and I'll rip out your eyeballs and piss on your brain!"_

 _"_ Okay I definitely have never said that one," Gohan stated, causing the redhead to give him a pointed look. "Oh alright I was having a bad day that week," he huffed before continuing, "I cant believe that its actually a child's toy. I can't believe that you actually have one! Traitor."

"My Dad sent it me in the post," Lime smiled, "Turns out he remembered that I was a fan, sweet huh?"

"Yeah, sweet…" Gohan snorted, giving her an amused look, "and your only a fan because you have to be; your best friends with him."

"Thats not true!" she protested, a wicked grin forming on her lips, "It's every girl's dream nowadays to be swept off her feet by the mysterious Gold Fighter you know, who says I don't want that too?"

"You see The Gold Fighter everyday at school," he scoffed, "and nearly every _night_ might I add."

"I know, but it's not the same," she sighed longingly, the figurine resting in her palms.

The young saiyan blinked, "So… you're saying you want me to turn super saiyan when were-"

"Don't be so rude!" She scolded, whacking him playfully on the head with the mini fighter, "You know what I mean!" Giving him one final smack, accidentally hitting the button again.

" _Eat Masenko mother-!"_

"LAO!"

The teenager's cringed, as Mister Shu's voice bellowed across the classroom. With his beady eyes fixed on the pair, he slowly got up from his chair; the wooden legs scraping painfully on the floor. His shoes tapped on the ground as he approached the back of the room; his bushy brow contorted into a frown.

He outstretched his palm for Lime to regretfully deposit The Gold Fighter figurine into.

Shu sniffed as he stared at the figure, holding it up with his thumb and forefinger by its boot. " _Toys_ , Miss Lao? I would have thought you were a little old for this sort of thing. Then again, one must not judge the simple minded."

Lime opened her mouth in an angry retort, but Shu simply turned on his heel and clonked the mini fighter on his desk.

"Close your papers children," he sighed heavily, "I believe there are more _pressing_ matters to address."

The class shared a worried look, as Shu picked up a piece of chalk and wrote legibly on the board; ' _Vigilante'._

"Now," Shu said with a sickening smile, turning back to the class, "Can anyone tell me, what a vigilante is? Come now, don't be shy."

After a moments silence, a small mousey boy at the front of the room raised a shaky hand, "A-a vigilante is a person or organisation acting in a law enforcement capacity without legal authority, sir."

"Excellent Perkins," said Shu, "and do you, or anyone else think that we, the citizens of this nation should condone such behaviour?"

Silence.

"A vigilante, girls and boys; is nothing but a criminal," he continued, "And in the case of this _Gold Fighter,_ a very dangerous one."

Gohan felt Lime grip tightly onto his leg under the table.

"People like this; who have these perceived 'abilities', should not be praised for their behaviour. They should be punished," a sadistic smile crept across his lips, "Yes we've all seen them over the years, I'm sure your parents will remember the great destruction of East City some ten years ago? Then there was The Cell Games, ah yes you all remember that. _Monsters_ fighting monsters is what it is."

Gohan started to shake; he was holding onto the table so tightly that the wood was beginning to splinter underneath his fingertips.

"The Gold Fighter, that you all aspire to; is not a superhero," stated Shu, picking up the figurine in distaste, "He is a primitive child that doesn't understand the ways of _normal_ people. He should be shunned not praised; and should leave the crime fighting to the hard working people of our nation. A monster like that should have never have been accepted-"

"OI!" came a sudden outburst, "Why don't you shut your fat mouth you big ugly shrew!"

"Sit down Miss Lao before I punish you further for bringing this symbol of anarchy into school!" Shu spat at the sight of Lime on her feet.

Gohan had stopped shaking, and was currently staring at the girl in awe. Her turquoise eyes were feral, and her cheeks crimson; she gritted her teeth in anger as she addressed him again, "Its a doll! You bloody ignoramus!"

"Action figure…" Gohan muttered under his breath. But Lime didn't hear over the irate shriek of Professor Shu.

"Ignor-?!" He spluttered, "Wench! Sit down this instant before I report you to the Headmaster!"

"I don't give a flying badgers left nostril!" She growled, "You'd better stop harping on about things you haven't got a clue about before _I_ report _you_ to the Headmaster!"

Shu stared, taken aback, before he broke into a wicked smirk, "Very well Miss Lao, as you continue you be so insolent, you leave me with no choice. You will receive detention with me after school, whereby you will bring your motorcycle to me to be confiscated."

Lime's eyes widened, "You cant do that! Can he? Can he do that?"

Gohan shrugged disbelievingly as she looked towards him.

"Oh I can and I most certainly will," said Shu.

"Well up yours!" she cried, but Shu's smirk only widened.

"The school has already received complaints of the noise that beast makes when you ride through the village to class. You also don't have any insurance for it, and are certainly not old enough to ride it. What you're doing is illegal Miss Lao, and if you continue to be educated in my classroom I will not stand for it."

"H-how did you-?!" Lime gaped.

"All I have to do is write a letter to the council to tell them the contraption on school grounds and they will confiscate for good," said Shu, "That is, unless your grandfather makes enough money from his green grocers to pay to get it back to you, which I highly doubt."

"You bast-!" Gohan yelled, standing to his feet, as Lime looked as though she might cry.

"Ah ah ah, Mister Son," Shu grinned, "I wouldn't want you to end up in detention along with Lao for the rest of the semester. You certainly need all the time in the world to study for your exams. Ah yes, research has shown that children from _broken_ families are less likely to do well in exams you know."

The young saiyan gritted his teeth angrily, as he sank back into seat; he wouldn't want to give Shu the pleasure of having him in detention for the next three weeks. That, and Piccolo wouldn't be too happy that he would be missing vital training time.

Gohan looked over at Lime as Shu ordered the class to get back to work. Her eyes were shining with tears as she hurriedly moved her hair from over her face and picked up her pencil. The young saiyan glared at the front of the classroom, Shu had gone too far this time.


	10. Vigilante Justice

**Chapter Nine**

 **Vigilante Justice**

 **xxxx**

"So I was thinking that Shu has gone too far this time."

"And you chose to wait to tell me this at three in the morning?"

It was the night after Lime had lost it in front of Shu, and it had taken Gohan forever to get to sleep. He was worried about his friend, and was rather annoyed that he had spent so much time and effort on the motorcycle only for their highly strung mentalist teacher to confiscate it.

In all honesty, they hadn't seen a problem that Lime hadn't passed a formal test to ride it, they lived in a pretty remote area, and Gohan had seen children as young as Trunks driving tractors whilst helping their parents on the farms. But of course Shu was the kind of nutcase that would have completed a thorough background check as soon as he saw them pull up on the bike in front of the school gates.

When Gohan did finally get to sleep, he didn't expect to be woken up a mere two hours later by a loud tapping at his window. And it was loud, he was surprised that his mother didn't wake up from the sound. Opening his bedroom window, he nearly jumped a mile when he saw Lime floating outside his window, waving cheerily at him. It took him a couple of seconds to realise she was sat on top of Icarus.

"I've been up all night plotting!" she whispered excitedly, "That greasy git won't know what hit him!"

"Lime, I'm way too tired for this, Piccolo and Vegeta will be here in a few hours and I -," Gohan sighed, before cutting short, "Wait, did you say plotting?"

Lime's eyes twinkled in the starlight, "Gohan, were going to get my baby back."

The young saiyan stared at her for a moment, when it dawned on him that she was all dressed in black. "Oh no, ohhh no we are not breaking into school! Have you officially gone mental?" he whispered harshly.

"We're not _breaking in_ ," she sighed with a roll of her eyes, "We're just going to quietly jump over the fence and take back what's rightfully mine."

"So whats with the black clothes then?" he argued.

Lime grinned, "Stealth mode."

Gohan snorted, "You have a mode?"

He was immediately awarded with a smack on the head.

"Stop taking the piss!" She pressed, "If you can have a costume then I can have a mode."

"There's a bit of difference."

"Shut up," Lime ordered, "Are you in or not?"

Gohan looked at her, the top of her auburn hair covered by a black beanie and her petite frame sporting black leggings and jumper. She had even cut out a piece of cloth from Kami knows where so that Icarus had his own black mask. Lime stared back with so much hope in her eyes, that he couldn't bring himself to refuse her.

"Fine," he sighed, giving in and causing the girl to let out a small squeal, "But what do I wear? I can't go as The Gold Fighter just in case someone catches us."

"Oh don't worry I've thought about your little alter ego problem," she smirked, before thrusting a duffle bag into his chest, "I got you an outfit all picked out."

"This is surreal," Gohan blinked.

"I know right!" she beamed, "Now get a move on, strip off and hop on!"

"Now there's a phrase I've heard before - Ow!"

 **xxxx**

There was not a soul around when they arrived at Chazke Village, much to Gohan and Lime's delight. They landed a couple of yards away from the cricket fields so they wouldn't be spotted, and after Gohan had ordered Icarus to stay put, they made their way to the back gates which was the easiest way to get into the school.

"It looks so creepy in the dark," Lime whispered.

Gohan rolled his eyes, "Don't tell me your getting cold feet now!"

"Of course not!" She scoffed, approaching the wire fencing that separated them from the gymnasium, "Come on, I'll give you a leg up."

The halfling gave her a confused look. Lime had squatted low, and had her hands clamped together in front of her, waiting.

"Why do I have to go first when this was your idea?" Gohan whispered harshly, "and you can't lift me!"

"Shut it," she growled back, "You have to get over and kill the security cameras first you plonker, how do you expect me to do that?"

Gohan groaned, "Can't I just _fly_ us over?"

"Certainly not!" She frowned, "You're ruining the thrill of adventure!"

Giving up, the young saiyan sighed, placing his foot on her hands; "You're having way too much fun with this."

Not waiting for a reply, he clambered up the fence, but almost instantly was confronted with a problem. "Bloody _hell_ Lime," he swore, "Why did you make me wear _your_ skinny jeans?!"

She sighed from below, "Because your's have holes in and someone might notice your pale skinny knees!"

"What?!" Gohan whirled around to face her, "My knees aren't pale _or_ skinny!"

"Oh don't be so vain Gohan," she tutted, "They're just knees, no one cares."

"Well I care!" he yelled, causing several dogs to bark from nearby gardens.

"Hurry up!" Lime panicked, her eyes darting around her, "We won't even make it over the gate at this rate!"

Shooting her a glare, Gohan managed to jump the last bit of the fence before quickly phasing in and out, disabling every camera he could find with a small shock of Ki. Within a matter of seconds, was he able to unlock the gates and allow Lime entrance.

"My lady," he bowed mockingly.

Lime rolled her eyes at him.

Gohan was surprised just how easy it was to break into school, all it took was the use of one of Lime's bobby pins to unlock the gymnasium doors. Once they were safely inside, Gohan was able to cut out any CCTV he came across, though there wasn't much of it. He supposed that not much expense was spared on security measures for a small school in a mountain town.

The halls were dark and deserted, and Gohan had to agree with Lime that it had an eerie feel to it. As they walked, their shoes squeaked on the tiled floor, the sound echoing throughout the empty corridors.

"So do you have any idea on where your bike might be?" Gohan asked after they had been walking a while.

"Nope!" Lime replied cheerily.

The halfling stopped in his tracks, "What do you mean, no? I thought you had a plan!"

"I did," she blinked, "The plan was to break in, which we just did, I didn't really get this far."

Gohan face-palmed, how did he get roped into this?

"But its alright!" She grinned, "I have a hunch that it might be round the old technology buildings."

"That's the other side of the school!"

"I know," Lime smiled wickedly, "But I want to get back at Shu first!"

And with that, she ran down the hall away from Gohan, leaving him in the dust.

"Lime wait!" he hissed, before making the quick decision to follow her.

When he reached her, he found that Shu's office door was thrown wide open, and Lime was already rummaging through the desk draws.

"How the hell did you manage to get in here?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Hair pin wouldn't work," she said matter of fact, without looking up, "So I used this trick my Dad was telling me about with locks! And Shu had a lot of them!"

Gohan frowned, "I'm beginning to think your father's a bad influence on you."

"Oh don't be so jealous," she said, sticking her tongue out before continuing to search, "Now where -? Aha!"

The halfling couldn't help but laugh when she pulled out her confiscated bangles with one hand and her Gold Fighter figurine with the other. She beamed, kissing The Gold Fighter all over its face, "Yes!"

"You don't kiss me like that," Gohan pouted, folding his arms across his chest.

Lime took no time in bounding over to him and giving him a long kiss on the lips. "Better?" she grinned, leaving the halfling flushed, "Now get over here, look at all this rubbish he's got!"

As Gohan stepped further into the room, he realised just how much of a psychopath his teacher was. Professor Shu's office was dark, having no windows and with only a dull light bulb that hung from the low ceiling. His desk was of a shiny mahogany, books and papers were neatly stacked and filed on shelves that lined the walls. There was a fireplace behind the desk, that looked like it hadn't been lit in years. Above it was a mantel piece, where hung a large oil painting of the man himself, that gave off a cold and domineering presence.

Shu's desk had various sizes of canes lined upon it like a posh set of silverware, with eerily empty photo frames facing towards the chair. The draw Lime was rummaging though showed just how much stuff the man had taken off students since he had been here. Jewellery, stink bombs, bouncy balls, frisbees, various scraps of paper and -

"No bloody way," Lime gasped, a brown file open in her hands.

"What is it?" Gohan asked, yet his eyes widened as soon as he caught sight of it.

It was his school record, his own face grinning out at him. It had the usual sort of stuff like address, birth date, grades etc; but was was more unusual was the various newspaper clippings and hand written notes that were stuffed in between the usual pages. Images of The Gold Fighter, old tournament records connecting him to his father; _Son Goku Vs Piccolo Jr_. East Kingdom news; ' _Ox-princess weds World Martial Arts Champion'. The Cell Games; who was this mysterious delivery boy?_ Pages and pages of diagrams and articles, a file proving, or at least proposing that he, Gohan was the boy who fought Cell. The Gold Fighter.

"G-Gohan," Lime whispered, "He knows, he knows your-"

"Knows, or is having a pretty good guess of trying to expose something unfavourable about me," Gohan spat bitterly.

"No wonder he went off on one yesterday about The Gold Fighter," said Lime, "He's frustrated that the public adore you! The nutcase probably drew this up when you were still a wanted criminal."

"Bastard," the halfling growled, "All this 'cause I had a bit of a go at him when I was seven."

"And your mum threw him out your window," she offered, trying to lighten the mood.

Gritting his teeth, Gohan grabbed the file off of Lime and tucked it under his arm, "Come on, we've got to get this and us out of here."

The girl nodded, about to follow him when she gasped, throwing the rucksack she was carrying off her shoulder and rummaging through it.

"What _are_ you doing now?" Gohan whispered as she grabbed two spray cans and tossed him one.

"I say we leave our mark, stick it to the man!" she grinned.

"Are you mad?" he said sharply, "He'll know its us!"

"Not if we don't sign our names you barmpot!" She shot back, wasting no time in jumping on top of the desk and defacing the painting above the fire place.

Gohan couldn't help but laugh when she sprayed Shu a new bright pink moustache and glasses, along with goofy teeth and a rather generous bosom.

"Your turn!" Lime grinned, jumping from the desk, "Let's see what you've got Gold Fighter."

The young saiyan frowned, not really sure what he should do when an idea came to mind. The sound of the air canister setting to work filled the room as Gohan moved the canister around. After about a minute, he stood back, admiring the newly defaced wall.

 _'Vigilante Justice!'_

"Nice touch," Lime smiled, as the halfling looked rather proud of himself, "But what's with the kiss at the end?"

Gohan immediately turned back to the wall in horror.

' _X'_

"Fuck!" he whined, "It was supposed to be an ominous marking! Do you really think it looks like a kiss?"

Lime scoffed, folding her arms across her chest, "Honestly? You might as well have put 'lots of love' at the end. You're not too good at this are you?"

Gohan groaned, "Do you think we should spray over it?"

The girl shook her head, "Nah, leave it now. If there's anything that will shake Shu up it's a bit of affection."

Gohan laughed as she grinned at him.

"Come on, lets move it lover boy."

As it turned out, Lime was right on the money when she guessed her bike was being stowed away behind the old tech buildings. The Comprehensive was rather old, and dated back to a time where all the boys had to study mechanics and every girl had to do domestic science, which certainly wasn't imposed now. Thus, the technology complex wasn't used anymore, only for the occasional storage purposes. The buildings were mainly comprised of old garages, where workshops used to take place fixing up cars and doing carpentry, which was exactly where Shu had locked Lime's motorcycle away.

"He's it chained to the floor!" Lime huffed, struggling to pull the bike free of its restraints, "When the bloody hell did he have time to do that?!"

"Stand back," Gohan growled, he had had enough. Lime moved aside, just as the halfling shot out several balls of Ki at the shackles.

"Woohoo!" Lime cheered, wrapping her arms around the front of it and jumping up and down, "She's free! She's free! She's -!"

"OI! What's going on in there?!"

The teenager's froze, as a gruff voice penetrated the air, along with a heavy pair of footsteps.

"Oh bollocks!" Lime cried, "It's the caretaker!"

Gohan blinked, "We have a caretaker?!"

"You seriously need to start paying more attention in school," she stated, just as the jingling of keys and footsteps grew louder.

"Who's there?!" The caretaker bellowed, "There's no use trying to escape, I've already called the police!"

"Shit!" the teenagers chorused.

"We must have missed a camera somewhere!" Lime whispered harshly.

"Damn it!" said Gohan, "Come on, I'll fly us out of here!"

"No!" she cried, tearing her arm away from him, "We've come this far, I'm not leaving without my baby!"

"Lime," the halfling said carefully, "It's just a bike, its really not worth getting arrested over."

"It's not _just_ a bike!" she yelled, angry tears springing into her eyes, "My Dad passed it on to me, and he seemed so excited that it was all done up. I just wanted -"

"Lime, you've got nothing to prove to him," Gohan soothed.

"What would you know?!" she spat, taking him by surprise.

"I'm sorry," she mustered after a beat of awkward silence, "I was upset."

Gohan sighed, "No I'm sorry, its important to you."

Lime gave him a watery smile, before swinging one leg over the bike. "Come on then, get on! They'll be here soon!"

He obliged, as the sound of sirens reached their ears. "You think we can outrun them?" he asked, holding tightly onto her waist.

"Baby, you just worry about yourself back there, it's going to get bumpy."

With that she revved the engine. The motorcycle roared to life just as the garage doors swung open and they were greeted by one frantic caretaker and four police cars.

"Stop thieves!"

But their words were drowned out by the skidding of tires upon the mud, as Lime sped clean through the gap in the cars and away from the complex. It didn't take long for the police to be hot on there tail, so Gohan quickly blasted open the school gates they had previously jumped over, leaving them a clean break for the path up to the mountains.

"You alright back there?!" Lime shouted over the engine.

Gohan coughed, the wind causing her hair to blow into his mouth. "Yeah but at this rate I'm going to end up coughing up a hairball!" He yelled back.

"What?!"

"I _said_ -!"

 _Neenaar Neenar Neenar Neenar Neenar WOOOOOOOO WOOOOOO WOOOOOOO_

"Looks like they called back up!" Lime cried as more sirens joined the others.

Gohan looked behind them, where the blue lights were quickly catching up to them. He swore under his breath, apparently breaking into a school was a much bigger deal than he had originally anticipated.

"Lime! LIME!" Gohan roared, as he caught sight of the forest in the distance.

"WHAT?!"

"You carry on!" He yelled, "Get to the forest where they can't fit through!"

Lime glanced behind her quickly, "Oh no Son Gohan you are not ditching me now!"

"I'm not ditching you!" He argued, "Just go! I'll handle the coppers then catch you up!"

"Gohan, what are you-?!" she started, but the young saiyan had already leapt from the motorcycle and flew high above the clouds. He pressed the button on his wrist watch and powered up to his super saiyan form, as soon as the visor slid over his green eyes did he descend, just in time to see Lime's blinking tail light approach the edge of the forest.

With the sudden appearance of a glowing golden teenager in the middle of the road, the police chase screeched to a halt, the nearest car stopping just inches away from his boots.

"G-Gold Fighter!" One of the police men gasped, as they clambered out of their respective vehicles in shock.

"Evening gents, what seems to be the problem?" Gohan asked calmly.

The officer's shared a look, until another spoke. "Well you see Mister Gold Fighter, we were in the middle of a car chase and-"

"Were you really?!" Gohan gasped in mock horror, "Blimey! Well I am terribly sorry, I had no idea!"

An awkward silence encompassed them, a cricket sounded from somewhere in the long blades of grass.

"Er yes," The policeman coughed, "You see, a couple of youths broke in to the school down in the village…"

"Hmmm, a school you say…interesting…," he pondered thoughtfully.

"Indeed," the man spoke warily, "and they're sort of… getting away…"

"Aha!" Gohan cried suddenly, causing them all to jump, "Say no more my good men, I'll hunt them down for you, they couldn't have gotten too far."

"Oh Mister Gold Fighter, there really is no need-"

"Nonsense! I'd be happy to help!" he boasted, hoping that Lime had made good enough distance by now, "Seems as though they've gotten into that forest from what I gather, there's no way you could fit your car's down there."

"We could always follow you on foot!" a rather enthusiastic young officer called out.

"No, no," Gohan replied, thinking quickly, "I'm afraid it's far too dangerous. You are aware of the fearsome dragon that roams these woods at night aren't you?"

"Come off it," a burley gentleman griped, "They're just stories made up by the villagers!"

"I don't know," the young saiyan said ambiguously, "I've heard that all you have to do is whistle, and if he's hungry enough, he'll come."

With all officers eyes on him, Gohan put his thumb and forefinger into is mouth and blew, emitting a rather loud whistle that echoed over the mountains.

Nothing happened for a good few seconds, but then Gohan caught something out of the corner of his eye.

"Ah, there he is!" He called, as Icarus circled high above the clouds, emitting a mighty roar. The police officers cried out in horror when the large dragon landed beside his master.

"Would you look at that," Gohan said in mock awe, looking the beast up and down, "Absolutely terrifying."

But when the teenager looked back, he found that the officers were already speeding away in their cars back to the village. "That's the right idea lads!" he called, "No worries, I'll handle this!"

As the red tail lights disappeared, Gohan scratched Icarus behind the ear, "Thanks boy, you got me out of a right pickle there."

The dragon purred, drenching the young saiyan with his long wet tongue.

"Come on," Gohan laughed, floating up from the ground, "Let's go find Lime, I'm sure she's got far enough away by now."

Gohan and Icarus managed to locate the girl a few minutes later, completely beside herself that she had been involved in a real life car chase. When she had calmed down, they had made their way back to the village, Gohan flying the both of them and the bike this time. They had securely tucked it away in the safety of Mr Lao's garage, and both agreed they wouldn't overuse it so that no one would get suspicious.

Mister Shu, on the other hand, was very suspicious of the pair of them, although he certainly could not prove a thing. The Headmaster, Mister Shilling, had stated that only some kind of security specialist have found a way to shut down the cameras, as the way they had been blown apart inside was a mystery, which only made Shu all the more furious.

It was concluded that it had been an unprovoked robbery, and Shu had actually been called to Mister Shilling's office for keeping a motorcycle on school grounds, apparently, it wasn't within their protocol. The attack to his office had been overlooked in favour of focussing updating their security systems. In the meantime, he had been given the store cupboard by the gym changing rooms as an office until his was repainted.

The news with what had happened to Shu spread around the school like wildfire, and the students were particularly delighted that he had finally got a piece of his own medicine. There were various rumours circulating about who had done it, but one in particular had caught Gohan's attention in maths class on Thursday afternoon.

"My Dad works for East City police," a girl named Erin Chang whispered when the teacher's back was turned, "And he said some of his work mates on patrol saw The Gold Fighter around last night, said he fought off a dragon and went after the thieves!"

"Come off it!" The boy next to her scoffed, "I don't believe a word, what would The Gold Fighter be doing in Chazke Village?"

"Imagine though," another boy chimed, "What if he somehow heard how Shu was treating us and did something about it?! Word is that he knows things you know, shows up when people least expect it. I suspect Shu is terrified. Serves him right, the git."

"Vigilante Justice…," Erin said slowly, "That's what was written on Shu's office wall, it could have been him!"

"The Gold Fighter looks out for everyone, he's so cool."

"Drop dead gorgeous too."

Gohan was busy trying to bury his face in his textbook when Lime nudged him and mouthed, "See, you _are_ a superhero!"

The following day, the young saiyan was particularly irked, he had nearly given the game away numerous times last night and people were starting to make connections, not to mention that Shu was right on his tail. Speaking of tails -

"Bulma, I need to hide my tail," he stated boldly, slamming down the sadistic file Shu had made upon the woman's desk.

Bulma stared at him, wide eyed after flicking through the document and Gohan had finished explaining, rather colourfully, just what an absolute nutter his teacher was.

"Right, okay," she said slowly, placing a hand on her baby bump, "So you've got to be a bit more careful around him, but what does that have to do with your tail?"

"Bulma, if anyone sees my tail as Gohan or The Gold Fighter, someone, if not Shu, will make the connection to my dad from the old tournaments and then to me, my secret identity would not be so secret anymore!" He explained hotly, tearing at his hair.

"Pressure of being famous getting to you kid?" Bulma mused.

Yet Gohan wasn't listening, "I'm already so tired I'm getting sloppy, first Shu and now my class mates are already connecting me to writing that stuff on the wa-"

Gohan immediately clamped his mouth shut, realising his slip. It had been on the local news that his school had gotten broken into, and no doubt his mother would have informed Bulma in their daily hour long conversations. Seriously, what do women have to talk about for so long?

" _What_ stuff on the wall?" Bulma's eyes narrowed dangerously at him.

Gohan cringed, looks like Chi-Chi had told her about his school getting broken into, the parents had received an emergency phone call explaining the break in, and they had yet to catch the culprit, though they were assured that no one had been harmed.

"Nothing, I don't know what you're talking about Bulma, are you sure you heard me right?" Gohan laughed nervously.

"Gohan…"

"Oh _alright_ it was me!" He sighed, "Shu confiscated Lime's motorbike off her so we got it back."

"YOU BROKE INTO A-!" Bulma started, before she realised that she was indeed sat within her office complex, someone might hear. "You broke into a school?!" she continued to a harsh whisper, "Gohan what on earth were you thinking? Is that how you managed to get this file?"

"He deserved it!" He protested, causing the woman to groan, "He had no right taking that from her! And anyway, I only graffitied words on the wall. It was Lime's idea to give his portrait a pair of knockers."

Bulma attempted to give him a disapproving look, but couldn't hide the amused smile that crept across her lips. "Oh kid, what am I going to do with you?"

Gohan smiled, "Erm, hows about please don't tell my mum and build me something to hide my tail when I transform?"

She sighed, "Well alright but no breaking into anywhere again, am I clear?"

He nodded, "Thanks Bulma, oh and would you be able to make something tonight? I've got to get home by ten."

Bulma blinked, "Since when do you stick to a curfew?"

"Since I know that Piccolo and Vegeta will give up looking for me by then, and also Mum won't realise I'm technically missing until then either," he informed her.

Bulma's eyes widened.

"Yeah I'm sort of hiding from them, I'm skipping out of training tonight - _please_ don't tell Vegeta I was here!" He added quickly.

"Oh Gohan…"

Four hours later and Gohan was stood in his Gold Fighter costume, in front of a full length mirror in the Briefs' living room with his eyes closed tightly, awaiting the grandeur that Bulma was about to reveal.

"Okay, open!"

The young saiyan did as he was told, snapping his eyes open in excitement. Unfortunately his excitement was short lived.

"Its a cape," he stated dumbly, observing the long black and silver cloth that was clipped into the shoulders of his bodice.

"Yes a cape!" said Bulma proudly, "Genius isn't it? Classic, stylish and hides your tail perfectly."

Gohan frowned, she did have a point, he couldn't spot his tail unless he waved it vigorously under the cloth. But still it just looked…

"Well? What do you think?" asked Bulma gleefully.

"Um," he started, "It looks…"

"It looks stupid," piped Trunks from where he was sipping on his juice carton. The four year old had bumped into Gohan when the teen was heading for the bathroom about two hours prior. Fed up of waiting for Bulma to finish, Gohan had offered to play with the boy in exchange for him not telling his father that he had been at Capsule Corp.

"Stupid?!" Bulma gasped, "It doesn't look stupid! Gohan, tell him!"

"Well… he does have a point…" Gohan mustered.

"Oh!" the blue haired women scoffed, waving her arms in frustration, "Oh well then! That's just charming! Four hours of my time and thats the thanks I get! We should change your name whilst were at it to the ungrateful fighter!"

The two boys stared.

"Yeah that was pretty rubbish too Mum," said Trunks.

Bulma growled, collapsing on the sofa in a huff.

"Aw don't be mad Mum!" Trunks whined, "None of the really cool superhero's have capes anymore!"

"They don't?" Gohan and Bulma chorused.

"Nuh uh," explained the purpled haired prince, "Baddies always grab hold of them, they get sucked into vortexes and into plane engines and -"

"See?!" Gohan interrupted, "Trunks knows! I don't want to get sucked into a plane engine!"

"Well you had better not fly too close hadn't you?" Bulma scoffed, "Sorry kid but thats all I've got, I'm way too pregnant for all this suit stuff."

Both boys' pouted.

"Oh it doesn't look that bad Gohan, I think it makes you look more heroic!"

Gohan sighed, "I'm not supposed to look heroic, I'm a vigilante, I'm supposed to be dark and mysterious!"

"That's why I made it black and silver," she smirked.

"Wow Bulma looks like you've thought of everything," he said sarcastically.

"I'll have less of your cheek young man-" she started, when a loud slam caused the complex to shake.

"WOMAN, WHERE IS YOUR BLASTED HARPY OF A MOTHER? I'M HUNGRY!"

"-unless you want me to set Vegeta on you," Bulma added playfully.

Gohan yelped, running to the window and flinging it wide open. He managed to get one leg outside when Trunks called, "Bye Gohan! Come back and play soon!"

Blasting into his super saiyan form, the newly caped Gold Fighter leapt from the window and shot into the night sky as quickly as his Ki would carry him, the bellow of the Prince of All Saiyan's calling after him.

"WAS THAT THE ELDEST BRAT I SAW JUMPING FROM MY WINDOW?!"


	11. The East City Heist

**Chapter Ten**

 **The East City Heist**

 **xxxx**

"So, who's cape man now?"

"Shut up Piccolo."

Sunday morning on top of The Lookout was a quiet affair, mainly because Piccolo had decided that a spot of one on one meditation might help the young saiyan focus on controlling his power, that way he might be able to maintain his ascended state without passing out.

The young saiyan couldn't sleep, so had headed out to The Lookout early, donning his Gold Fighter attire and stopping a few teens from speeding and rescuing a cat from a tree. After flying around for about an hour, Gohan made his way to meet his mentor, where he had instantly noticed his suits new addition.

After bidding a short hello to Dende and Mister Popo, they had immediately set to work. The Lookout was a very peaceful place, with only Mister Popo's butterflies inhabiting the gardens. He and Piccolo were sat beside them, both in a meditative pose.

Gohan breathed deeply, closing his eyes as a slow breeze swept through his spikey fringe. His visor was free of his face and he had powered down to his base form. Piccolo's first instruction was to find his centre, but he just couldn't seem to concentrate. They had sat in silence for a full ten minutes before Gohan yawned for the fourth time.

"You're not concentrating."

The young saiyan opened an eye, only to be greeted with Piccolo's penetrative stare.

"Sorry Mister Piccolo," he grinned sheepishly, "I'm just tired."

The Namekian scoffed, "Tiredness has nothing to with it, your not focussing on your power."

"It seems thats all your making me do at the moment," said Gohan, rolling his eyes, "I'm even starting to miss being used as a punching bag."

"That can still be arranged."

"Oh har har," the teenager mused, his tail thrashing around behind him in annoyance, "Are we done yet?"

Piccolo gave him a stern look, "No, not until you've found where your power lies. Once you've found that then you might have a better understanding of how to control it."

Gohan huffed, "Easy for you to say."

"Not exactly," Piccolo sighed, turning his head away from him and up to the blue skies above, "There's still a lot we don't know about the super saiyan transformations. You've made the ascension twice - and I'm not counting the times where you've barely grasped it before collapsing - why doesn't your body seem to remember?"

The halfling shrugged, "Dunno, maybe I'm not as strong as I used to be."

"Vegeta and I could have told you that," Piccolo snorted.

"Always the vote of confidence," he drawled, folding his arms across his chest. "Transforming into a super saiyan is easy really, once you've got used to the feeling, but the other…"

The strong Namekian turned to him in interest as his voice trailed off.

Gohan sighed, not really sure how to explain it, "Against Cell, I could feel the power, but it was just too far out of reach, I didn't know how to crack it. Everyone was screaming and yelling at me, trying to get me to bring it out, but I didn't know how to."

Piccolo was silent as the teenager continued, "It's different to turning super saiyan. It wasn't like a need. All I felt was… rage. Having nothing else to grab onto I just went with the emotion, and it took me to that power, it was so deep rooted that when I tapped into it, I lost myself in it. It seemed as though I couldn't contain anything anymore, all my power was on the surface, and so was my anger. That's what I felt against Cell… and I suppose when Vegeta pissed me off the other day, he said something about my Dad and-"

"Goku?" Piccolo finally spoke, listening intently.

The young saiyan cringed, "Yeah, er… he just made me think about the last time I saw him."

"And that made you angry?"

The young saiyan didn't look at him, he just shrugged his shoulders and became more interested in the marble tiles.

"Do you think thats normal?" the teen asked after a moments silence, "I mean, using anger to transform like that?"

Piccolo let out a heavy sigh, "I would say that your better off asking Vegeta that, but no saiyan has managed to achieve such a level before. Your power has always been special Gohan, different to anyone's I've ever met. It could be normal, for you."

Gohan scoffed, "Great. Maybe we should rename it to the Super Saiyan Temper Tantrum instead."

"Don't sell yourself short kid," his mentor said with an amused smile, "But I'm sure if having a temper tantrum was all it took to reach the transformation then I don't think Vegeta will be too far off achieving it."

The teenager snorted, his laughter echoing over the temple.

"Sorry I haven't been much help," said Gohan, still smiling, "in training I mean, I know how much you and Vegeta want to get stronger."

"Don't be absurd," Piccolo replied, "These things take time, and you're getting stronger too, as much as you thought it wasn't important. Just because Goku's gone doesn't mean the Earth doesn't need a protector."

Gohan's smile subsided, feeling a little guilty, "Yeah, I s'pose, do you think you and Vegeta will do it?"

His mentor huffed, "Of course we will, don't you have any faith in us?"

"I'm just saying you aren't getting any younger," he teased, earning himself a glare.

"You're forgetting I'm only four years older than you."

The teen yawned loudly, "Doesn't seem like it, your always telling me off and ordering me around."

"Well maybe if you didn't act like such a child I wouldn't have to," Piccolo smirked.

"Ooh your banter game's strong today Mister Piccolo," the teenager grinned, "Seriously, stop it before you give me banter burns!"

"That doesn't even make any sense," his mentor snorted, "Is that something you've learned from that girl? Lime?"

Gohan's grin slipped off his face.

"Ah so I'm right," Piccolo smirked.

"I am not having this conversation with you," he scowled.

The Namekian's smirk widened even further, "Was Vegeta right about what he said about you two?"

"No!" Gohan said hotly, "We're just friends!"

Piccolo gave him a pointed look before turning back to his meditation.

The teenager sat there, fuming, and was about to tell his mentor where he could stick his accusations when -

 **Bleep. Bleep.**

 **Bleep Bleep.**

"Again?" Piccolo sighed, as Gohan's watch sounded, a distress call with an address from somewhere in Satan City flashing over the small screen.

"Well I'd love to stay and chat, meditate and whatever," the halfling smirked, "But duty calls!"

"Gohan…" the Namek growled.

"Piccolo!" Gohan gasped in mock horror, "Do you honestly want the blood of innocents on your conscience? I'm astounded!"

His mentor glared at him, "Alright go. But I want you straight back up here when you've finished - no excuses."

"Thanks Mister Piccolo!" the teenager called over his shoulder, erupting into his super saiyan form and blasting from The Lookout.

As Gohan reached the towering buildings and flashy billboards of Satan City, he noticed that the location of the distress signal was coming from the main high school, situated just a few streets away from the city centre.

Orange Star High School was much bigger than Gohan's local Comprehensive, with acres upon acres of fields surrounding it. It stood around five stories high, with shiny windows that glistened in the sunshine. The building was a pale orange in colour, with a white star painted just below the clock face that was embedded into it's highest point.

Oddly, the young saiyan couldn't see or sense any sign of danger, and was wondering if his watch was just playing up until he caught sight of a figure looking up at him from the rooftop.

Flying a little closer, he was shocked to fine that it was none other than Videl Satan, who was tapping her boot impatiently upon the tiles. She was dressed in jeans and her long white t-shirt, her pigtails blowing in the slight breeze that the young saiyan created as he landed.

"What took you so long?" The girl said gruffly, her sapphire eyes narrowed.

"The distress call was you?" he quirked.

"Do you see anyone else standing around on a school rooftop on a Sunday?" she retorted.

"Stuck are you?" he grinned, "Need a lift down?"

"Shut it," Videl griped, "I meant to be here for your information. And I certainly don't have to be rescued by you!"

"Right well," Gohan huffed, "If you don't need me for anything then I guess I should be going-"

"Wait!" she called as the halfling made to take off.

He stopped, giving her a curious look.

Videl gulped, whatever she was trying to say was killing her, "I called you here because…. because I need your help."

Gohan blinked, "I thought you didn't need me to save you."

"It's not me you idiot!" She growled, "It's for an operation, were planning on infiltrating a heist and it's a big one. We need as much help as we can get."

The halfling broke out into a wicked smirk, "Satan City's golden girl asking help from a vigilante. My my Videl, I'd never thought you'd stoop so low, it's very naughty of you."

"Shut up!" She spat, her cheeks burning crimson, "I'm only asking because of the circumstances."

"And what circumstances are those?" he asked curiously, still grinning madly at her.

Videl sighed, "We've had a tip off about a robbery thats going to take place tomorrow. Apparently lots of gang's are in on it, they're all connected to each other."

"Through The Borbonne Family," Gohan stated, remembering the conversation with Stanley Coyne.

"How did you know?" she asked, giving him a dumfounded stare.

The teen saiyan tapped his nose, "I know a lot more than you think Miss Satan."

Videl scoffed, "Well anyway, these goon's want to break into the East City Bank, steal everything they can get their hands on and exchange it for weapons of mass destruction."

"East City?" Gohan frowned, "Then what's it got to do with you lot?"

"Because, you plonker," she sighed, "East City is the nearest major city to us, the bank holds the all the richest peoples accounts from its nearest smaller towns, including my Dad's. And plus, the majority of the East City police department have quit their jobs, something about some dragon attacking a village somewhere."

Gohan whistled nervously.

"The operation is too much for just one police department to handle anyway," she continued, "That's why they've asked us to help."

"So why do you need me?" asked the halfling, "Seems like you've got it all figured out."

"Who knows what weapons they've already got their hands on," Videl growled, before looking up at him, "I've seen what you can do, tricks or not, you can save people if anything gets too out of hand. You're fast and … I suppose you're not completely useless."

The young saiyan couldn't believe his ears, "Did you just complement me?"

The girl rolled her eyes, "Don't let it go to your already oversized ego."

"Look who's talking," he shot back, causing her to scowl, "Are you sure this isn't just an elaborate ploy to unmask me?"

"No, not yet," she grinned wickedly, "I'll let it slide until after you help me out and catch those guys, then I'll concentrate on finding out whats behind that visor."

Gohan grinned back, "You're getting soft, Satan."

"Hardly," she scoffed, "So, are you going to help us or not?"

"Go on then, you've twisted my arm," he smiled, "So where do you need me to be?"

"345 Regal Street," said Videl, "Tomorrow, outside the bank and the ice cream parlour about three pm. Stay high before I call you."

"You're so bossy," Gohan teased.

"Just be there on time," she pressed, ignoring him and taking out the capsule for her jet copter, "and don't tell anyone I asked you for help, this arrangement is just between you and me, am I clear?"

The halfling chuckled, "Crystal."

As Videl's yellow copter disappeared above the clouds, Gohan couldn't help but shake the feeling that he was forgetting something. Maybe he was just feeling a little odd, due to the fact that Videl had actually asked him for help, she seemed to be disgusted at the mere sight of him half the time.

Yet there was still something niggling in the back of his mind, and he couldn't shake the feeling of unease when he returned to The Lookout, and all throughout the rest of the day.

It was only when he was sat having a quiet meal with his family that evening, did the realisation hit him like a frying pan to the head.

"Bollocks!" Gohan cried suddenly, standing up and causing his mother and brother to almost jump out of their seats.

"Gohan what have I told you about that language?!" His mother scolded, taking out her napkin and wiping away the soup that had spilled onto her dress.

"Sorry Mum," the teenager said quickly, as his brother started to giggle, "can I be excused?"

Chi-Chi blinked, "Well I suppose so, but what ever is the mat-?"

"Thanks!" he called as he bolted from the kitchen and into his bedroom, shutting his door behind him before making a break for the window.

Flying through the skies that were steadily growing amber, he reached Lime's balcony as soon as the sun started to set. Lime and her grandfather always ate dinner early, as Mister Lao would need to get up early to open up shop. Thus, Gohan knew the girl would already be in her bedroom.

He could hear rock music playing from her stereo, the sound of her humming a long reaching his ears. He couldn't help but smile as he caught her shadow from beneath the closed blinds, dancing around to the beat.

She stopped abruptly, as Gohan lightly tapped his knuckles against the window pane.

Immediately, the girl's freckled face appeared at the window, her frown dissipating as soon as it had appeared, giving him a dazzling smile. Her hair was a little wet from where she had gotten out of the shower, and she was dressed in nothing but a black bra and pink and white spotty knickers. She had a hairbrush in one hand, and opened the window with the other.

"What do you want?" Lime asked, looking the halfling up and down.

"You really want your neighbours to hear?" he smirked.

The girl grinned wickedly before stepping aside and allowing him to duck his head through the pane. Lime span on her heel, sitting on the chair near her vanity table that was adorned with pictures of the pair and numerous posters and song lyrics, whilst Gohan took up his usual position on her unmade bed.

"Aren't you supposed to be revising?" Lime asked, brushing through her hair and eyeing him in the mirror's reflection.

"Aren't you?" he asked, shooting her a disbelieving look.

"I am revising," she grinned, putting down her brush and running her fingers through her hair to make it messy again, "Revising what I'm going to wear tomorrow, when I meet Dad."

Gohan's heart sank, though he forced a smile, "Is he taking you to an underwear show or something? 'Cause I have to say that's a bit weird Lime."

The girl scowled, throwing her brush at him, which he dodged effortlessly, "I was thinking of taking something to change into after our exam tomorrow. Maybe a dress or something like that? Something sophisticated."

"Why do you have to dress up?" he asked sceptically as she put a long string of white beads over her head.

Lime sighed, "I just want to look nice is all, make a good impression. He hasn't seen me properly since I was eleven. I just want him to see how grown up I am now, you know?"

"I suppose," he mustered weakly.

"And he _is_ taking me for a fancy meal!" she grinned, spinning around in her chair, "I can't go to a posh restaurant in my school uniform."

"That reminds me," Gohan spoke, trying to get to the point, "Where is he taking you?"

"Dunno," she shrugged, "says it's a surprise, why?"

"Oh I just wondered," he said, urging the conversation forward, "so where did you say you were picking him up from again?"

"Somewhere on Regal Street," Lime informed him, turning back to the mirror and back-combing her fringe, "Near that ice-cream parlour, you know the one by the bank? I need to leave straight after our exam, else I won't make it for three. Dad said I can't be any later, think he's made reservations or something."

The young saiyan began to sweat, it could just be a coincidence right? Lime's parents were just a couple of bandits, albeit notorious ones. Borbonne dealt with gangsters with a lot of connections, there's no way he would recruit the Lao's to do his dirty work for him, would he? Even so, what kind of a father would intentionally put his daughter into harms way?

"Lime," he started dryly, "There's something I have to tell you-"

"What is it Gohan?" Lime asked, turning back to him.

Her turquoise eyes looked towards him, so full of hope. She tilted her head in curiosity, her perfect lips upturned in a heart stopping smile.

The teenager lost his cool, "Just, your hair looks really pretty like that."

She grinned, turning back to the mirror.

Gohan sighed, scolding himself mentally. He just couldn't tell her. What if he was wrong? Lime would never forgive him for accusing her father of such things. She was finally rebuilding their relationship, something that he would never get the chance to do with his father. He didn't want to come off jealous, Edward Lao may have changed for all he knew. Lime could be right, she had so much faith.

But if Gohan's theory was correct, he didn't even want to imagine the outcome.

Later that evening, when he had left Lime to her outfit revision, the teenager thought he should make a start on his own. But with his mind whirring, he couldn't concentrate on his Literature.

Instead, the young saiyan had taken to abandoning his textbook, smoothing his fingertips over the fabric of his Gold Fighter cape. Maybe his alter ego was more trouble than it was worth.

A sudden knock upon his bedroom door broke him out of his thoughts.

"Gohan? Gohan sweetie?"

The teenager leapt from his desk chair, and grabbing his thick textbook, he flung himself onto his bed, opening it up and furrowing his brow in concentration.

"Oh sorry sweetheart, you're studying," his mother whispered as she opened the door.

Gohan looked up from his book with a small smile, noticing she was carrying a tray.

"I brought you a little bite of something seen as you were in such a hurry to revise you didn't finish your dinner, did you manage to get those revision notes from Lime?"

The teenager nodded in affirmation before staring at the food on the tray, "A banana?"

Chi-Chi smiled enthusiastically as Gohan picked up the offending fruit, "Why yes! Banana's are a real brain booster you know, perfect for your test tomorrow."

"Um, thanks Mum," he said dumbly.

"Not a problem darling," she cooed, smoothing a hand over his hair, "It's nice to see you taking your exams seriously again, I was starting to worry about you."

"Don't worry about me Mum," he smiled, "Boy genius, remember?"

Chi-Chi grinned, looking at him fondly, "Well I'd better let my little boy genius get on with it. But no staying up too late alright? I want you to get plenty of rest."

Gohan forced a smile as she left the room, closing the door with a snap. He sighed, putting down his book as soon as the sound of her footsteps retreated across the hallway to Goten's bedroom.

The young saiyan was conflicted. He didn't know whether to go find Videl as The Gold Fighter and tell her he had prior plans, he had all morning before he had to be in school for his Literature exam after all. The forth and fifth years had no more lessons, so they had some free time to revise before their exams that were scattered throughout the week. Then again, according to Videl it looked to be an all out police vs gangster brawl, and he couldn't have Lime getting in the middle of that, whether her father was actually involved or not.

Gohan spent the rest of the night and all of Monday morning thinking of a way around his predicament. It was only when the fourth years were lining up outside the exam hall did he attempt to speak to his best friend in a last ditch effort.

"So I was thinking," he mustered as the students gathered in the corridor, "That maybe you could go see your dad another day."

Lime turned to him with a frown, "What are you on about? This has been arranged for weeks!"

"Its just…" he sighed, struggling, "Its just that me and Goten found this really cool lake the other day and I thought we could go swimming after the exam! Come on, its so stuffy in there, a cold swim will be exactly what we need!"

Lime gave him an amused look, "Oh? and just where is this amazing lake Gohan?"

"Er…"

"Look," she sighed, "I know your worried about my dad not showing up, but I honestly think he's changed. Don't you trust me?"

"Well of course I do," said Gohan, "But I-"

"SON! LAO!"

The two teens swivelled round, as Mister Paisley's voice reached them. "If you weren't so busy _canoodling_ then you would have heard me tell you to get into alphabetical order according to your surnames. I do trust that you've revised enough to know that 'S' and 'L' do _not_ sit near each other in the alphabet?"

"Yes sir," they grumbled, shifting into place.

"That's it Son, next to Shay, _thank you_ , and Lao, next to Lang. Good gracious you're lucky Mister Shu isn't here else he would have banned you both from taking this exam."

"Where is Shu?" Gohan asked, earning himself a stern glare.

"I don't think you should be concerning yourself with teacher's matter's Mr Son," Paisley sniffed, "Now need I remind you _again_ that these are exam conditions? Good. Now then students if you have everything you need then please follow me into the hall and take your place filling up from the left of the room, no the _left_ Mister Akira! Silence please everyone…"

As the teenager's shuffled into the hall, Abigail Shay whispered into his ear, "I heard Shu's gone off sick with stress, apparently he couldn't get that writing off the wall, especially not those big pair of boobs off his painting."

The young saiyan smirked, at least that was something that had gone to plan.

Gohan finished his paper before everyone else, and spent the last half hour of the exam tapping his pencil impatiently upon the desk, earning himself several glares from Paisley.

Unfortunately for the teen, when they were told to put down their pencil's at two, Lime had scurried off as soon as she grabbed her bag and, with a swift goodbye to Gohan, she was already out the school gates.

He knew he would look suspicious if he went after her. Instead, he ran around the back of the gymnasium to transform into The Gold Fighter and followed her above the clouds. He had to admit that she looked fantastic, donning a light blue skater dress with a leather jacket over the top. She had abandoned her gloves, but wore black biker boots upon her feet. Her sunglasses glinted in the sunlight as she rode away from the mountains and towards the city, he couldn't help but wonder just how many cans of hairspray she had used to hold her messy up do as it showed no signs of coming loose as she sped through the valleys.

Gohan landed on the rooftop opposite the bank as Videl had suggested, just as Lime killed the engine in front of the ice-cream parlour next door. His green eyes scanned the streets that were busy with shoppers, but so far could see nothing out of the ordinary. Lime was looking around too, taking out her phone and texting.

The young saiyan checked his watch, it was two minutes past three already. He couldn't see any sign of Videl or the police. His tail flickered impatiently underneath his cape, maybe Videl really _was_ trying to trick him somehow. Maybe Lime's dad was just going to take her for ice-cream and it was all just a big coincidence that Videl had picked the same street to unmask him as Lime went to meet her father.

Maybe.

As three more minutes went by, Gohan decided to stretch out his senses in an attempt to find Videl, when a rapid alarm sounded from inside the bank.

The teenager's heart jumped to his throat as gunshots followed, breaking through one of the windows so that the glass shattered and littered the pavement.

Screams echoed through the street as shopper's fled from the commotion. Gohan's gaze quickly found Lime, who hadn't moved a muscle, her phone had dropped to the ground out of shock and she was staring at a red headed man who had just burst through the large wooden doors of the East City Bank, carrying a duffle bag full to bursting with money.

Gohan's throat ran dry, judging by the look on Lime's face this man was without a doubt her father. They had the same copper coloured locks, though his was much thinner at the back. He had the exact same freckles dotted around his cheeks, though his eyes were a deep brown. He sported a bushy moustache above his lip, and had a lot of stubble lining his jaw. Edward Lao was a short man, with the same shaped face as his father. Stocky, hairy arms clung onto the duffle bag as if it was as precious as a newborn baby.

He looked towards Lime with a feral look in his eyes, his voice muffled as he bit onto the cigar in-between his teeth, his free hand gripping a hand gun.

"Get it revvin' girl what are you waitin' for?!" he shouted, puffing and panting as he made his way over to the motorcycle and dumped the duffle bag on her lap.

"Righ' you look after tha' lass," he said gently, lifting up his gun, "I migh' ave' some shootin' to do."

Lime didn't have a moment to respond, when the sound of siren's filled the air. Several feet below where Gohan stood, the tinkering of breaking glass sounded, and soon enough Videl Satan crashed through the building, handcuffs in hand and a heated look in her eyes.

She was accompanied by several police officers, all adorning bullet proof vests and visors, guns in hand.

"Eddie the L, I should have known," she spoke fiercely, "Where are your accomplices?"

"Pah!" Eddie laughed, "Bastard's deserted me didn't they! Too much for 'em this kind of work. Went running with their tails in between their legs when they found out what Borbonne was really capable of. Too scared for their families see. Bunch of wet cabbages is what they are. Borbonne needed someone with experience to pull off a job like this."

"Well it looks like you haven't managed to pull anything off," Videl said smugly, "Tell me Eddie, what does the 'L' stand for? Loser?"

"Videl, be careful," one of the police officers spoke, "He's a dangerous man."

"Don't worry Colin," she grinned, "That's why I've called for back up."

 _"Gold Fighter go."_

Gohan jumped, when Videl's voice spoke through his wrist watch.

 _"Gold Fighter? GO!"_

She said again, but Gohan was frozen.

" _Gold Fighter? HELLO?! WHERE THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU?!"_

"What are you mumblin' about?!" Eddie laughed, as Videl positively seethed, yet the distant sirens were getting closer. "Let's go lassie!"

Lime jumped out of her trance as her father addressed her; and Gohan could only watch with horror as his best friend made her decision and revved the engine.

"Stop where you are!" Videl cried, but it was in vain, as the motorcycle gave a magnificent roar, and sped away from the police, dodging the various flashing blue cars that attempted to intercept their path.

Gohan swore loudly under his breath, diving from the roof top and careening after them.

Eddie the 'L' was relentless, grabbing onto Lime's waist and firing bullets in rapid succession behind him. The bike twisted and turned through the streets, nearly giving the young saiyan a heart attack when it almost collided with a whirring police car.

"Looks like you're a natural!" He heard Eddie yell over the roar of the engine, "Knew it was the perfect time to enlist you into the family business!"

"Business?!" Lime cried, panic-stricken "I thought you were bandits?!"

"Not anymore after this gig lassie!" He grinned manically, "Borbonne looks after his own you know! We'll have things we never dreamed of before!"

Gohan couldn't hear Lime's reply over the sudden roar of Videl's jet copter that appeared beside him.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?!" She yelled from the cockpit.

"I was busy!" he shouted back.

"This is your fault!" Videl roared, "He's getting away with billions of Zeni! Do you know how much Borbonne can do with that money? You were supposed to disarm him so we could arrest him as soon as he got out!"

"You said there'd be more gangsters!" Gohan retorted, "You're just as bloody useless as I am!"

The Satan girl shot him a murderous glare, "Oh I am so unmasking you after this."

"I'd like to see you try!" he yelled, when an explosion sounded causing smoke to billow towards them rapidly.

The crime fighter's flew quickly out the way, just as Gohan heard a manic shout.

"Take that! Excellent work lass!"

The teenager gritted his teeth as the burning police car smouldered from were it had crashed into a wall. Luckily, the driver and passenger had escaped, but were strewn on the floor helplessly.

"I'll go and help them!" Videl called, preparing to descend, "You take care of Eddie and that rider!"

The halfling gulped as he watched Videl go. Sighing heavily, his main concern right now was to get Lime to safety, and away from her conniving father.

They were steadily making a break for the outskirts of the city, when another barrage of gunshots reached his ears, accompanied by the sound of heavily screeching tires.

"No!" Gohan yelled desperately, landing clumsily on the pavement and skidding to a halt.

Lime had took a corner too fast, and she and her father had been flung from the motorcycle. They had crashed near a park, and Gohan immediately caught sight of the girl, splayed out on the ground behind a bush, her red hair having come loose and fanning around her face.

He ran to her, as she opened her tearful eyes, a nasty graze upon her cheek.

"Lime -" he started, anger building in the pit of his stomach.

The girl didn't speak, he had never seen her look so frightened.

"Lime, stay here, alright?" he whispered, "I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

She nodded numbly, just as another shower of bullets filled the air.

Gohan turned away from his best friend, his fierce eyes landing on Eddie, who had gotten up from where he had landed, gritting his teeth as he pulled the trigger of his gun over and over. Blood poured unforgivingly from his lip, his cigar had long since been discarded.

Notes upon notes of Zeni littered the street and grass, they blew around in the breeze that was created by the shoot out between him and the officers that had him cornered. Lime's motorcycle lay a few feet away, the paintwork scratched but the rest of it intact, it looked as though it's passengers had come off a lot worse.

The young saiyan allowed a deep growl to escape his chest as Eddie fired another round, hitting one of the officer's in the shin.

The bandit howled with laughter, as the policewomen fell to the floor, "You can't touch me! I'm the greatest bandit in the world!"

His laughter was was short lived however, as he was suddenly confronted with a golden haired teenager standing in his path.

"It's The Gold Fighter!" the officer who had been shot cried.

Eddie growled, as another breeze swept the street, causing The Gold Fighter's cape to flap around him in the breeze.

"Now I wouldn't say you were the greatest bandit in the world," the teenager stated, "I've got a couple of friends that could give you a run for your money."

"Oh yeah?" Eddie laughed, "The Gold Fighter is it? Why don't yeh run along sonny and leave the talkin' to the big boys?"

"Afraid I can't allow you to do that," he seethed, as the Videl and the rest of the officers skidded to a halt behind him. He sighed, his eyes averting to the bush that Lime was currently hiding behind, "Look, if you drop your weapon and leave here quietly without the money, I won't chase you, I won't have you arrested, I'll leave you to get on with your life as if nothing happened."

Eddie stared at him for a moment, before throwing his head back with laughter, "What's this? Lost your bottle lad? Why would someone like you be willing to help a bloke like me eh?"

Feeling Videl's eyes upon him, Gohan gritted his teeth, lowering his voice to a whisper, "I'm not helping you," he stated boldly, glancing over to the bushes, "I'm trying to do the right thing here, so just do as I say."

"Not likely," the bandit scoffed, bringing up his gun once more, "Eat lead!"

The teenager disintegrated the bullets as quickly as they came, yet Eddie kept on firing, getting all the more frustrated when nothing hit the golden boy. All out of rounds, the man growled, throwing his unless weapon to the floor and sprinting towards the bike.

"You're making a mistake!" Gohan yelled in desperation.

But Eddie didn't listen, instead, he picked up the bike and jumped onto the seat, revving the engine.

The young saiyan blinked, looking over to where Lime lay once more when it dawned on him. His boiled boiled over, he had never been so furious in his life.

He appeared in front of the bike before it had even moved an inch, his tight grip twisting the metal handle bars as he spoke over the roar of the engine.

"So thats it is it?" The teenager seethed, "You're just going to leave her?"

Eddie looked over to where his daughter was, but said nothing.

"You used her!" Gohan bellowed, panic rising in the man's brown eyes, "After everything! You used her, put her in danger, hurt her and then what? You think its alright to just _leave_?!"

Eddie jumped back in shock, as a bolt of electricity ran its way down the length of the teen's arm. His golden aura burst to life, illuminating the street around him.

"What do you think she's going to do without you?!" He continued to roar, "Do you even care how she feels?! You're nothing but a _coward_. You don't care! You have _never_ cared! All you've ever cared is about getting stronger, and when you can't handle it you piss off and leave me to deal with everything!"

Eddie's fearful and confused eyes didn't leave the teenager for the entire time he was yelling. Yet when Gohan caught himself, he released the handle bars in shock, allowing the bandit to swerve the bike around him and make a break for it.

"He's getting away!"

Videl's sudden shout shook him out of it, and he turned to see Eddie Lao speeding off down the street. The police aimed their guns towards the bandit, ready to shoot him down. Gohan felt like letting them, when he caught sight of Lime peaking her head out of the bush.

Quickly making his decision, the glowing super saiyan outstretched his palm, and with a heavy heart, unleashed a small ball of yellow Ki so that it fired into the engine of the bike. A small explosion sounded, causing it to skid and swerve. Eddie fell to the ground as it toppled over, allowing the officer's to surround the bandit and arrest him.

He watched hopelessly, as the man was pushed, kicking and swearing into the back of one of the police cars. The young saiyan sighed, turning around so he could grab a heartbroken Lime and go home, when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

"Good work Gold Fighter," Videl said gruffly, "Now all we've got to do is take all this money back to the bank and find out where Eddie's getaway driver went."

"Oh, she wasn't with him," Gohan said quickly, earning himself a curious stare, "I saw him threaten her and make her drive, she didn't have anything to do with it. Think she ran off when the bike crashed."

The girl eyed him, "And you're sure?"

"'Course I am Videl," he replied, "Would I lie to you?"

Videl didn't have a chance to retort when the pair were suddenly blinded by the flash of more than a dozen cameras.

"Miss Videl! Mister Gold Fighter! How does it feel to have captured one of the most notorious bandits of all time?" One reporter gushed.

"Did you know the robbery was going to take place?"

"How far are you from infiltrating The Borbonne Family?"

"The viewer's at home are desperate to know if your going out on a date after your courageous efforts?"

"Er…" Videl mustered when she was cut off by a cheery laugh from behind her.

"Now now, that's enough questions for today," said a balding man dressed in a smart suit and a ceremonial chain draped over his neck. "I daresay our nations favourite duo are tired after today's exciting capture."

"Mister Mayor?" Videl gasped, along with the paparazzi "Forgive me, but what are you doing here?"

"Oh ho ho my dear child!" The Mayor chortled, "I was on my way to deposit a check when I spotted the commotion going on outside, I must say The Gold Fighter here caused quite the mess!"

Gohan cringed, when he clasped eyes upon the deep cracks in the pavement he had caused when he had powered up, as well as the broken parts of of Lime's motorcycle that littered the ground.

"Want us to arrest him Sir?" The police sergeant asked boldly.

The Mayor held up a hand, "No, no, that won't be necessary."

The halfling looked at him in bewilderment, "What?"

"What?" Videl blinked.

"WHAT?!" came the chorus of press, police and on-lookers.

"You see," The Mayor explained, looking fondly at the half-saiyan, "I have been in contact with our ruler, King Furry, about the presence of our golden haired friend."

"You have?" Gohan asked, bewildered.

"Oh but of course!" the balding man grinned, "The Gold Fighter has been around for a few years now, and although we haven't got a clue where you sprung up from lad, well, us city Mayors couldn't have been more grateful."

Gohan and Videl shared a confused look.

The Mayor laughed, "Of course, the amount damage you've caused with your power has been less favourable, cost us thousands it has! Utter thousands!"

The teenager threw a hand behind his head in embarrassment, "Yeah, sorry about that."

"But despite this, I can't help but think we've been a bit unfair on you lad," he continued, "The public seem to adore you, which isn't surprising!"

To Gohan's horror, he pulled out a Gold Fighter figurine from Kami knows where.

 _"Get on the ground or I'll stuff so much cotton wool down your throat it'll pop out your arse like a tail on a playboy bunny."_

The teenager sighed, he was having a stressful day when he said that.

"Delightful!" The Mayor chuckled, "But that aside my dear boy, the world's leaders, including King Furry himself, have ordered to have your warrant lifted."

A collective gasp sounded over the crowded street.

"That's right Gold Fighter, you are no longer branded a wanted criminal, yes I believe it's time we worked together with you special people, King Furry is all the more for it."

Gohan was blinded with the flashing of camera's again, as the Mayor was bombarded with questions.

Holding up a hand to silence them, the Mayor continued; "And there is another thing. The check I was depositing today, was actually for you my lad, as a thank you. But when I got there I realised, I didn't know your real name!"

With that, Gohan found a check being thrusted into his gloved hand. His eyes widened, "B-But Sir, this is for-"

"One million Zeni yes," he informed him, "Make it out to whomever, my signature is on the back there."

"Wow er-"

"And there is one other thing!"

"Oh no," the young saiyan couldn't help but groan. As much as he and his family could use the money, he really needed to find Lime.

His heart fluttered, as he managed to catch sight of her, standing at the back of the crowd.

"A medal of honour!"

The crowd lost it, cheers drowned out everything the Mayor was saying, something about bravery and protection or whatever. But as the ecstatic citizens began to jump around, Gohan quickly lost his friend amongst them.

"One for Miss Satan too of course," the Mayor chuckled, pinning a golden sparkling medal in the shape of a star on Videl's shirt. The man thought better of pinning the other on Gohan's tight bodice, rather intimidated by his muscular torso. Instead, the Mayor simply handed him his, then cheerily posed for a picture.

The flash of the camera's dazed him from underneath his visor, though in the distance, he could just make out the retreating form of Lime as her red hair disappeared around the corner.


	12. I Regret To Inform You, Mrs Son

**Chapter Eleven**

 **I Regret To Inform You, Mrs. Son**

"Lime, please talk to me," called Gohan.

Just like any other day after Eddie the 'L' had been captured and The Gold Fighter had been pardoned, Lime ignored him, storming off in the opposite direction.

It had been a several days, and he would have thought Lime would have calmed down at least a little by now. He had gone to Chazke Village after he had managed to escape the paparazzi, and was relieved to find that Lime had managed to get home safe via bus.

He didn't see her until the day after at school outside the exam hall, as her grandfather had informed him that she had gone straight to sleep. Gohan didn't blame the girl, it had been an incredibly emotional day for both of them.

His mother had been utterly beside herself, the news that King Furry himself had pardoned the golden haired teenager having been televised throughout the world. Chi-Chi had cried and hugged him when he showed her the check, ordering him to put the money away in preparation for university. They had decided they would cash it in Bulma's name. As Capsule Corp. had some very important clients, it wouldn't be too outrageous for them to be in cahoots with The Gold Fighter.

Despite his family's elation, the teenager couldn't help but feel guilty. He wished Lime hadn't gotten involved in the whole mess in the first place, and was quick to approach her at school, yet the girl didn't seem to want to hear anything he had to say.

The young saiyan had been persistent, they had never fallen out before, and he hated to think Lime was cross with him. He followed her back home and knocked at her balcony every night, but she either told him to get lost or ignore him altogether.

He tried to give her some space, but he just couldn't take it anymore.

"Lime! For Kami's sake will you at least look at me?" He yelled at her retreating form, "I don't understand why you're so mad at me!"

It was Friday afternoon, and the fourth years had just had their last exam. The school year was officially over for them, and Gohan and Lime seemed to be the only ones not celebrating. Students were laughing and joking, abandoning their school ties and rolling up their sleeves due to the heat of the day. Everyone was making their way out of the school grounds when Gohan had called his friend back.

To his surprise, the red head turned, angry tears shining in her eyes, "If you don't _understand_ Gohan then thats not my problem! I'm not going to waste my time explaining it to you!"

She turned again, but the young saiyan quickly caught up to her, grasping her by the shoulders and looking her directly in the eyes.

"Lime please," he tried, "I know your upset, believe me no one hates that this happened to you more than me. I wanted to believe your Dad was good, I really did but-"

"Stop it!" she cried, shoving him off, "I don't need a lecture from you!"

"I'm not going to lecture you," he said carefully, "Look, I'm sorry, none of this should have happened, if I would have known for certain, then I would have never-"

"You knew didn't you?" she sobbed.

The young saiyan was taken aback, he hadn't seen her cry for years.

A tear rolled town her cheek onto the steristrips that she had taped to her wound, "That's why you were there, you knew and you didn't tell me!"

"Lime I didn't know," he mustered hopelessly, "Not completely. I didn't want to say anything to you just incase I was wrong! Believe me I wanted to be wrong, I really did. I just couldn't bare you getting hurt again."

"Well I did!" Lime yelled suddenly, the tears now falling freely, "I did get hurt! And you, y-you stand there, with your medals and fame, looking at me with nothing but pity!"

"I don't pity you at all!" he cried, "I understand how you're feeling Lime."

"No you don't! You have no idea how I feel!" she shouted, several student's turned to them as they stood in front of the gates, "Your best friend didn't _lie_ to you! Your best friend didn't do nothing to step in when he had the power to stop it before it happened!"

Gohan stared, as her voice lowered to a whisper.

"Your best friend didn't get your father arrested."

"Lime," he choked, his heart pounding, "It was either that or let the police shoot him! He shot an officer!"

The girl looked torn as she wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt.

"I thought he had changed," she sniffed.

"I know," he said, "I'm sorry."

To his heart ache, Lime shook her head, "It's too late for that, just… just leave me alone."

"Lime wait!" he called, when she barged past him. He stopped her again, a little further away from the gates. "What is it? Please tell me."

Lime stopped, taking a shuddering breath. "I saw the way you looked at him, before you shot the bike…"

Gohan's stomach dropped, Lime loved that bike.

"I heard what you said, you scared him and he left me behind."

"He was going to anyway!" the halfling protested, "He wasn't coming back for you Lime-"

"You don't know that!" she fumed, "He wanted me to join him, he said I was a really good rider and I could come and live with him and Mum. Instead of being _stuck_ in this boring fucking village!"

"You don't really want that do you?" Gohan asked disbelieving, "What about your grandpa? What, your life goal now is to become a bandit?"

"I… I don't know alright?!" Lime spluttered angrily, "I've asked you to leave me alone, the least you could do is stop interrogating me and stop comparing my parents to your own bloody abandonment issues!"

The young saiyan stared at his friend, hardly believing his ears. He suddenly felt a surge of anger towards her as she span on her heel and barged into a couple of second years.

"FINE!" Gohan roared after her, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes, "Walk away! The only reason you won't look at me is because you know your being utterly stupid!"

"Have a nice fucking summer!" Lime called, causing several students to jump away from her path.

The young saiyan ran his hands through his hair angrily. He couldn't believe how unreasonable Lime was being, did she honestly think that her father would have come back to her? Could she not see how better off she would be without Eddie's influence? He had expected her to be a little upset about him not telling her about the proposed heist, but he didn't want to get it wrong and hurt her feelings! Could she not see that?

He paced outside the school gates in agitation, the last stragglers of students had headed out of the grounds by now, but Gohan was too angry to fly. The teenager scoffed, of course she couldn't see that he didn't want to hurt her feelings! She hadn't given a toss when she had made a dig at _his_ father. Abandonment issues?! What abandonment issues?! Lime had started to sound just like the rest of his friends.

The teen let out a yell of frustration before using his foot to kick at the gates, just as Headmaster Shilling strolled out of the main entrance with his brief case.

"Mister Son!"

He winced, as Mister Shilling's shouts were accompanied by the sound of groaning metal. Gohan's foot had gone clean through the bottom of the gate, causing the whole thing to twist in on itself, collapsing to the ground and causing the walls surrounding the entire school to crumble to the ground.

Shilling coughed as the dust began to clear, his furious stare fixed on the young saiyan, "My office! _Now_!"

Gohan had never damaged school property with his strength before, save a couple of burst footballs and splintered desks. He was always warned by his mother to be extremely careful. He couldn't believe he had misjudged his control like that, and was even more annoyed when Shilling had called his mother to the school.

After a good scolding from both Shilling and Chi-Chi, he had been ordered to wait outside the office whilst they had a private conversation.

He waited begrudgingly in the corridor, leaning with his back and foot perched up against the wall and his arms folded over his chest. He could hear his mother attempting to create an elaborate excuse as to how the wall collapsed, but Shilling wasn't having any of it.

The Headmaster was a stern but fair man, who Gohan generally got along with. The man had always been impressed by his academic records, and deemed the young saiyan to be the smartest student they had ever had to grace the school.

However, he wasn't all too thrilled with the amount of detentions that he had racked up over the years, and it could be argued that he and Lime were the most troublesome students ever to grace the halls of Chazke Comprehensive, something that Shilling was quick to remind his mother of.

"Gohan's record is…. concerning," the teenager heard Shilling muster from behind the office door.

"Straight A's are not what I call concerning Mister Shilling," his mother retorted, "and I thought you called me here to discuss the damage to the wall, which I have already explained that Gohan had been training very hard in his martial arts and probably just got a little carried-"

"Mrs Son, I'm afraid that the wreckage of the wall is just the tip of the iceberg," Shilling interrupted, "I'm very aware of your family's roots ma'am, you and your husband both competed in the World Martial Arts Tournament some years back."

"My Goku won I'll have you know," said Chi-Chi boastfully.

Shilling cleared his throat, "Yes, indeed. But I'm afraid this doesn't excuse your son from damaging the school building. As much as you say he was training, I have reason to believe that he may have done it on purpose as a way of lashing out."

"My Gohan would never-!" The ox-princess gasped, "How can you say such a thing?"

"Mrs Son," Shilling sighed, "Are you aware of Gohan's attendance record this year?"

Chi-Chi was silent, as the sound of rustling papers came from inside the room.

"I'm afraid it is a far cry from the hundred percent he received in the first couple of years he has been at the school," he informed as Gohan heard his mother gasp.

"There's been several complaints of him leaving school at abrupt moments, giving sordid excuses of needing the toilet or school nurse, disappearing for hours on end," the head continued, "This, along with truanting, back chatting to his teachers and numerous detentions. I'm afraid that his behaviour can no longer be overlooked in favour of his grades."

"It's just a phase!" Chi-Chi cried, "I can talk to him, he's just having a rough time. His father-"

"I'm aware of Mr Son's passing Mrs Son and I am truly sorry," said Shilling sincerely, "I understand how hard it must be on the boy. But the school cannot tolerate this any longer. I'm afraid that your son is getting worse, more than any of us can control."

"B-But-"

"He took down a _wall_ , Mrs Son," said Shilling, "I know how difficult this must be for you. But believe me, I know how strong your son is."

Gohan had stood up from the wall as Shilling spoke, listening intently.

"I was there," the headmaster spoke softly, "I was there when that horrid man Borbonne tried to trick us villagers into hiding in that ridiculous shelter. We were all so scared after Cell, most of the faculty have even refused to come back here even still! I saw what Gohan did, he helped us. But I'm not sure that if he flies of the handle here again at school that any of us will be able to deal with it, not to mention pay for the damage."

The old man sighed heavily, "I've been teaching for nearly forty years, I've seen the beginnings of delinquency, how boys lash out when they can't control their emotions. Normal boys, are hard enough. I can no longer allow this behaviour to continue in my school. It's only a matter of time before Gohan goes the same way as the others."

His mother sniffed, her voice thick, "Mr Shilling, what are you trying to say?"

The teenager hovering outside the door inhaled sharply.

"I regret you to inform you Mrs Son, that Gohan can no longer return to school in September. He is henceforth, expelled."

 **xxxx**

"I should have seen the signs!"

Gohan huffed in annoyance at the sound of his mother's wails from downstairs. The newly expelled teenager was currently hanging out of his bedroom window, cigarette in hand, no longer caring if his mother caught him or not.

"Where oh where did I go wrong Bulma?!"

The teenager blew another torrent of smoke out into the air in a huff, watching the wisps of smoke disappear into the velvet night sky. His mother hadn't said a word to him on the Nimbus ride home, but as soon as he had been sent up to his room did she call Bulma and let rip.

"This all started when I found those cigarettes when he was thirteen! I should have been more strict with him!"

He sighed, twirling his cigarette in between his fingers. Lime would be beside herself if she knew he had gotten expelled, knowing her she would come up with some elaborate plan to get herself expelled and to that they could run away together, travel the world or something.

Gohan leaned his arms heavily upon the window pane, resting his chin upon them. He didn't really feel like telling the girl, why would she even care? Lime was acting completely out of order in his opinion, and if she wanted to become a bandit then that wasn't his problem. He was contented with his decision.

The young saiyan immediately brushed away the wetness that appeared in his eyes as a small pair of footsteps thundered up the stairs, his bedroom door flying open and hitting the wall with a loud bang.

"Gohan!" Goten cried, bounding towards him, "Are you okay? Mister Kwillin says that you exploded at school!"

The teenager stared at his little brother, "What have I told you about knocking?"

Goten smiled widely, "Whoopsie, sowwy I forgot."

He sighed, turning to the toddler. Goten had been on a play date at Kami house with Marron all day, Krillin must have just dropped him off as he could sense the man's Ki hovering in the kitchen.

"And I got _expelled_ Goten, not exploded," Gohan added.

"Oh, um…" the young boy pondered,"What does that mean?"

"It means I'm not going to school anymore," he explained glumly, staring out of the window.

Goten's eyes widened to the size of saucers, "So does that mean that you can stay here all day?! And play with me?! We can go on lots of adventures Gohan! We can go swimming and climbing and running and jumping and flying and fighting and -"

"Yes _alright_ Goten," he pressed, his head spinning, "I might have some more time, that is if Mum doesn't make me homeschool again, she's going to blow her nut at any moment now."

Goten blinked, "What does that mean?"

"Means that she's bloody mental," the teen griped, causing the young boy to giggle.

"Mummy won't like you saying that," he frowned, his eyes averting to the cigarette in Gohan's hand, "and she says that your not allowed to do that either, she says that its really really bad for you."

"I'm past caring Goten," he huffed, although he blew the smoke away from him.

"Oh okay," Goten smiled, unfazed, "do you wanna go play superhero's in my room?"

As he had predicted, playing superhero for two hours with his brother did nothing to help him forget his troubles. He could hear his mother and Krillin talking the entire time, but for the life of him couldn't make out what they were saying due to Goten's excitable squeals. He had half expected Krillin to come and have a 'manly chat' with him, but surprisingly, his father's best friend went home without even coming to say hi to the half-saiyan.

In fact, his mother had barely spoken to him when she came up and told them that it was time for bed. Gohan was confused, Chi-Chi hadn't even raised her voice to him. All he could sense from her was an aura of sadness and disappointment, which didn't make him feel any better in the slightest.

It wasn't until morning, when he had been woken early by Piccolo and Vegeta, did anyone attempt to talk to him about the situation.

He and Piccolo were stood a ways off, as Vegeta's rising power flooded their senses. The prince of all saiyans' powered up in the middle of the valley below, the ground shaking from the pure energy he was emitting. The birds and animals had long since evacuated the area, Vegeta's mighty cries having startled them. A super saiyan glow cast shadows amongst nearby trees, a gust of wind rippled through their leaves as Vegeta's Ki skyrocketed.

Gohan watched a few birds fly off in the distance, the tremors Vegeta was creating reaching further afield.

"Are you watching?" came Piccolo's stern voice from beside him.

The teenager sighed, turning back to the valley below, "Of course I am."

His mentor's eyes ran over his frame, "Your thoughts are clouded."

"If it bothers you so much, then stop trying to read my mind," Gohan spat back, he really wasn't in the mood.

Piccolo's cape billowed in the breeze, the sky suddenly getting a little darker from the fluctuating energy. The halfling folded his arms across his chest, casting his gaze back to the power struggle. He didn't really understand the point of him being here, they had been watching Vegeta power up for about half an hour.

"Your mother is worried."

Gohan failed to keep himself from rolling his eyes as Piccolo spoke again, "Had a nice little chat over breakfast before you woke me up did you? Would have thought you'd be over the moon that I got expelled so I'd have more time to spend here."

The Namekian gave him a pointed look, "That's not what I wanted Gohan."

He huffed, turning his head away from the scene.

"Pay attention to the session," Piccolo said gruffly, "You're not concentrating."

The teenager opened his mouth to retort when a sudden shout sounded from below.

"I can hear your domestic from down here!" Vegeta shouted, he had only just realised that the ground had stopped shaking. The prince dropped back to his base from, before flying up and landing in front of them, "What the hell is going on?"

" _Nothing_!" Gohan said in an exasperated manner.

"Good grief he's worse than a toddler," Vegeta scoffed, sharing a look with Piccolo, "Just how long do you plan on whining for boy? Because you're already interrupting my training."

"Like I care," he huffed.

"Gohan," Piccolo sighed, trying to reason with the teenager, "You've had a face on you all week. I thought we had made progress with your meditation, you were able to focus. Now your being like this again. Vegeta is so close to ascending now, and you're holding him back."

The halfling gaped, "Oh so now its my fault?! Everything is always my fault isn't it? Its my fault you and Vegeta can't reach your power, my fault I can't ascend without blacking out, my fault I got expelled, my fault Lime won't speak to me anymore-"

"What?" Piccolo blinked, "Is that whats wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong! Alright?!" Gohan griped, "Will both you stop trying to bloody analyse me?!"

Vegeta and Piccolo said nothing, but he didn't give them time to say another word.

"You know what, stuff this!" The teenager growled, turning away from them, "You two are on your own."

"Gohan, don't be like that-" Piccolo started, yet Vegeta cut across him.

"Good, it's about time you stopped holding us back," the saiyan prince snorted, as the teen lifted into the air, "and whilst your gone try to find a pair of balls and grow up!"

"Vegeta," Piccolo warned, before shouting up to the retreating halfling, "Gohan! Come back!"

But Gohan did not return to the mountains. He was too pent up with frustration, confusion and a little bit of guilt. Emotions were swirling around his head so fast that they were starting to give him a headache. In a situation like this, the teenager would usually go and see his best friend, but he knew an encounter with Lime would only end up in an argument right now.

Instead, the young saiyan found himself flying over Satan City. He had to admit that the place was growing on him, and it wasn't a place where he was likely to bump into any of the Z-Fighter's. He could certainly do without their pitying looks.

When he was about halfway over the city, he changed into his alter ego, powering up to super saiyan just incase he encountered any trouble. He supposed that doing a few good deeds might help distract him for a while.

To Gohan's surprise and dismay, the city was abundant of any crime. It was a peaceful Saturday afternoon, and the streets hummed with the steady rhythm of shoppers - nothing too busy. He flew slowly, just above the crowds, just out of eyesight. His shoulder's began to relax after a while after he took some deep breaths. He even took the time to stretch out his senses, and was pleased to find that neither Piccolo or Vegeta were following him.

Satan City was always busy, being a tourist town, and Gohan was enjoying listening to the hustle and bustle until he noticed a billboard in the distance. The young saiyan nearly lost his concentration and fell out of the air, when he saw his own face staring back at him.

Well, sort of.

The Gold Fighter, golden hair and shiny visor was grinning up at him from where he floated. Arms folded in a cocky manner, looking out onto the streets below.

Gohan frowned, it was a blown up picture from one of the recent pictures the press had taken. In the corner of the billboard, it read, _Satan City's No.1 Superhero - The Gold Fighter!_

He sighed, suddenly, the noise of the city had become suffocating.

With that, the young saiyan turned around and headed to a place that he knew would be quiet on a weekend in Satan City.

Gohan felt relieved when he landed on the rooftop of Orange Star High School as there was not a soul to be seen. The young saiyan sat on the wall, his legs dangling over the edge of the building as he swiftly took out a cigarette and lit it.

He was relishing in the solitude when he heard an amused voice behind him.

"So this is what superhero's do on their day off."

Gohan was surprised when he laid eyes on the girl, yet he couldn't help but smile.

Videl chuckled as she moved closer towards him, "Is this seat taken?"

The halfling shook his head, motioning her to join him.

"Want one?" he asked, taking out his pack of cigarettes.

She wrinkled her nose slightly, "No thanks, I don't smoke."

"Suit yourself," he shrugged, placing the pack down next to him and taking another drag, "So what are you doing here? You do know school is closed for summer right? Let alone it being a weekend."

"I like going somewhere quiet," Videl sighed, leaning her head back and letting the warm sun kiss her face, "helps me think."

"Same," Gohan mustered, before raising an eyebrow at her, "So what does the daughter of the world champ come to think about on the roof of a school on a Saturday afternoon?"

She scoffed, "I could ask the same about the world's best loved superhero."

"Fair point," he admitted, offering her a small smile.

Surprisingly, she grinned back, "Unless you're sitting around waiting for a crime to happen or something?"

"Um, yeah, something like that," said Gohan, averting his eyes.

"The Gold Fighter," Videl mused, "You just keep getting more and more complex you know, its making me want to unmask you once and for all."

He smirked, "Why do you always want to take off my clothes Videl?"

Gohan was quickly rewarded with a smack to the arm.

"Speaking of attire," the girl started, looking him up and down, "I forgot to ask you, what's with the cape?"

The young saiyan cringed, "Oh, um, it's just something I'm trying out."

She snorted, "It looks stupid, who do you think you are, Superman?"

"It does not look stupid," he growled, "You're just jealous!"

"Jealous?" She scoffed, "Unlike you I don't need to wear a stupid outfit to make myself look good! You're so sodding arrogant. Take off that suit and what are you?"

"Handsome, genius, half-alien super-being," Gohan stated, causing the girl to gape. "Is there another point you'd like to fail at making Miss Satan?"

Videl glared at him, "You're infuriating."

"You weren't saying that when you were begging for my help the other day," he pointed out.

"I didn't _beg,_ " she scowled, "and you were just as infuriating then as you are now."

"Well now you're just teasing," he pouted, "You know how much I love winding you up."

He had half expected her to slap him, but to his surprise, she let out a small chuckle.

"I should get home," she sighed, before Gohan could speak, "My Dad will be wondering where I am again."

"Ah, your family go on a rampage when your out for hours on end too?" he observed, "I know that feel."

"Well, it's just my Dad really," Videl explained, "Mum left a few years back, so its just us now. Seems like everything changed after the Cell Games; felt like she divorced both of us."

Gohan stared at her, his cigarette long forgotten, the ash burning away at his fingertips.

"Yeah, it changed everything," he mustered glumly, though he wasn't sure the girl heard him, her sapphire orbs were cast over the distant skyscrapers and out towards the horizon.

Videl shook her head, averting her gaze from him, "S-sorry, I don't know why I just told you that."

"It's alright," said Gohan, "I should say sorry I suppose, I crashed in on your thinking place."

She let out a dark chuckle, "You crashed in on my city, I'm learning to deal with it."

"Aw, come on," he teased, "I'm not that bad, right? You've tolerated me for almost ten minutes now without screaming at me."

"Get over yourself," Videl said, rolling her eyes as she got to her feet.

The young saiyan watched her walk away, decapsulising her jet copter in a shower of smoke, she turned, and, giving him one last look before she took to the skies, she grinned, "See you around, Gold Fighter."


	13. The Notorious Tea Boy of Capsule Corp

**Chapter Twelve**

 **The Notorious Tea Boy of Capsule Corp.**

 **xxxx**

August flew by in a blur, and Gohan didn't even realise that September was upon them until he had a rather frantic wake up call from his mother that young saiyan had spent the entirety of the summer holidays either holed up in his bedroom or loitering around Satan City as The Gold Fighter. He had purposely been ignoring Piccolo, who had been hovering outside his bedroom at odd hours, and he had even managed to get himself out of the numerous barbecues and meet ups at the tropical island of Kame House.

He was still furious with Lime, the girl hadn't so much as text him with an apology, and he'd be damned if he went over to Chazke Village to beg for their friendship. In fact, he had pretty much spent the rest of the summer alone, even Icarus hadn't been to visit for a while.

Goten, to his delight, had been spending a lot of time with Trunks and Marron over at Capsule Corp., more so when he had realised that Gohan was too busy brooding to play with him. Chi-Chi had been beside herself at his utter reluctance to participate in any sort of social gathering, though she had surprisingly allowed the teenager to be left alone with his thoughts. His mother had actually been rather calm, despite everything, although if anyone were to mention his expulsion she would burst into tears.

Which is why, he presumed, she was so excited when Bulma had called at the end of August, informing her that they had some job openings in Capsule Corp. that would be perfect for him. Gohan hadn't been given much information on what jobs, or much choice in the matter when he had accepted anyway.

Although he knew that it wouldn't be a high flying job, given he had no qualifications, anything would be better than baking in his bedroom with all the windows open, listening to music if only to drown out the sound of Piccolo's gruff breathing as he meditated outside.

So, at seven am on Monday the fourth of September, after being forced into a smart suit by his mother. Gohan grabbed his packed lunch of corned beef sandwiches off the counter and blasted off in the direction of West City.

When Bulma had opened the door to him, she gave him an enormous hug, although it was rather difficult to return, what with her bulging belly. The baby was just weeks away from its due date, and Gohan couldn't help but feel a little worried as she showed him around the complex. But Bulma had merely scoffed when he voiced his concerns.

"Oh Gohan you sound like your mother," she said, rolling her eyes as they trudged through the hallways, "I'm a working woman you know, I can't just leave when my feet start to get a little achy. Although just between you and I, I am looking forward to some time off once the baby comes."

The young saiyan followed her, yawning slightly, "Bulma, this is great and all, but why did you call me here this early for a guided tour? I've seen the labs and stuff before."

The blue haired woman turned to him, giving him a wicked smirk, "You haven't seen the half of it yet kiddo, just you wait."

He frowned as she turned a sharp corner near to her office that he had never had any need to access before. To the side of them was a lift, he could see his reflection in the shiny metallic doors it was so pristine.

"So there's a code to this," she informed him, "0803, got it?"

He nodded as she punched the numbers into the keypad next to it, causing the doors to slide open with a satisfying ping.

Down they travelled, and it seemed like an age had passed when the doors sprung open again and they stepped into a brightly lit corridor. No windows were present, although the walls were painted a crisp white with several pieces of framed artwork nailed to them.

He obediently followed Bulma, wondering just how far underground they were as she waddled in front of him. The carpeted floor soon turned to tiles as they crossed a bridge, which was encased in glass window panes. It ran over a trickling stream below them, and Gohan recognised a few of Mr and Mrs Briefs' animals frolicking at the banks.

He looked above him, realising that they were indeed still underground; he couldn't glimpse a hint of a blue sky.

"Bulma," he mustered, "this place is-"

"I know," she grinned back at his awestruck expression, "Now hurry up and stop dawdling, theres still lots to see!"

Over the bridge they went, and into another part of the complex, filled with rows upon rows of desks with around a hundred people typing away at computers or answering phones.

"This is HR," Bulma informed him, waving at a few employees as they walked past, "and this - oh Pepper thank you."

The teenager blinked as a woman with brunette curls appeared out of nowhere and thrust a take out coffee cup into her hands.

"Decaf skinny mocha latte with an extra shot Miss Bulma," Pepper smiled, "I've also taken the liberty of cancelling your morning meetings with the board as you said you were busy."

"Ah yes, this is my friend Gohan," Bulma introduced, "It's his first day today."

"Charmed," she nodded professionally, shaking the teen's hand. Before Gohan could even muster a 'nice to meet you' she was gone, answering the bluetooth headset she had strapped to her ear.

"One of my assistants," Bulma explained, as the women disappeared around the corner, "come on lets go."

Gohan was amazed by the amount of respect Bulma had from her employees, and she seemed to know the name of every single one of them, no matter what their department.

"Its important to take the time remember people's names Gohan," she informed him as he voiced this observation, "It's a good way for people to remember you, you know."

He hadn't realised just how much work Bulma managed until he had witnessed it for himself. As they walked, various people were running up to her spouting a million questions and arrangements, he didn't know how she wasn't completely overwhelmed.

"Miss Bulma! There you are! Materials for the new XL-CC hover car, we were thinking black with a speckled finish, or maybe a dark grey."

"Dark grey John, always a classic, we did the speckled finish two years ago."

"Fabulous! Love it!"

"Miss Bulma Areocorp wants to move their meeting with you from two pm until three pm on Thursday."

"Two pm or nothing tell them Amanda, I'm a very busy woman. If it's that important they can fit around my schedule."

"Miss Bulma, I've got King Furry's secretary on hold-"

"Tell them I'll call them back."

"Miss Bulma, I've gone ahead and made dinner reservations for you and Mr Vegeta at Le Westro Blanc this evening, how's seven for you?"

"Lovely, thank you Percy."

Once they had managed to escape the fray, they came to a large foyer, complete with plush leather sofa's and a tropical fish tank in the corner. There was a reception desk at the back wall, with a young woman sat at it, various filing cabinets behind her and papers strewn around her work space.

It sort of reminded him of a doctor's surgery, were it not for the large solid metal doors that reached as high as the ceiling at the back of the room.

"This is where you'll report to every morning at nine," Bulma informed him, "You'll be working in the main engineering lab-"

The halfling's eyes lit up, "I will?! Oh thank you Bulma! Thank you! I thought you were going to sit me behind a stuffy old desk!"

"Don't thank me just yet kid," she warned.

He was about to ask her what she meant when he realised he was being introduced to the receptionist. He put her age at about eighteen, she had short brown hair and dark eyes, framed by heavy eyelashes. The woman wore a sharp suit that was tight around the bosom, and she looked at Gohan with a flirtatious smile.

"This is Chrissie," stated Bulma, "she started here last month. Chrissie, this is Gohan, he's new. It's his first day today."

"Hi there," she smiled, "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Gohan grinned back, causing her to blush.

Bulma rolled her eyes, tugging on his elbow, "Come on stud."

He chuckled as they approached the metallic doors, and watched as Bulma leaned her face towards the key pad fixed to the wall. Gohan thought it strange that it had no numbers, but realised why as a small laser protruded outwards, scanning Bulma's iris with a small humming sound.

" _Ms Bulma Briefs, CEO, access granted."_

"That is so fucking cool," stated Gohan, as the doors began to tinker and clunk.

"We'll get your's sorted once I've added you to the payroll," Bulma grinned, the doors beginning to open, "Now Gohan, allow me to show you where the magic happens."

It was like some sort of organised chaos, as he was immediately greeted with the sound of feverish voices, the clanking and drilling of tools, as well as the sight of hundreds of workers bustling around an enormous underground bunker. It could have fit four football stadiums by Gohan's calculations, especially seen as at the centre of the room was a great shining spaceship.

The spaceship itself was surrounded by people in lab coats, that also donned protective visors and gloves. Some were high up on ladders, working on the electrics, sparks from their tools falling onto the pristine tiled floor below. Others, held clipboards and complex looking diagrams, their brows furrowed in concentration as they studied them, occasionally pointing upwards to the ship. Another was busy spray painting the Capsule Corp. logo on one of the wings, giving a cheery grin to a few workers who were heckling him from below.

The halfling noticed that there were various other projects going on in the room apart from the spaceship. Numerous consoles and complicated control systems lined the walls, each one with a person sat in front of it; typing, analysing and pressing buttons that the young saiyan had no clue as to their function.

The bunker had three floors to it, each platform housing offices and labs that ran in a circle around the walls of the complex. There was a large group of employee's gathered round on the floor above Gohan, who reminded him of being in a stock market. They all had mobile phones glued to their ears, and were talking in various languages, flailing their arms about them and clutching bits of paper in their hands.

As he followed Bulma deeper into the building, a room to the left of him caught his eye. A group of teenagers, boys and girls, sat around a large diagram in one of the labs. They too wore white coats and goggles, looking like they were having a heated discussion.

"Interns," Bulma informed him when she caught him looking, "Some of them just finished school, they come here as an apprenticeship, work whilst they study sort of thing. Looks like one of the mentors has gotten them busy already."

Although the whole place was awfully busy, the young saiyan didn't feel intimidated at all. In fact, he was actually excited to get to work. He smiled, as he followed Bulma off towards a small corridor, passing a row of doors along the way. One in particular made him almost sequel in excitement, it read; _Harold Thatchley, Head of Engineering._

Next a few more offices, a store cupboard on the left, another corner and then -

"And this is you," said Bulma, as they entered a brightly lit room.

The smile Gohan had slipped right off his face, "It's a kitchen."

"Well, this is where you'll be spending a lot of your time working," she sighed, not looking at him directly in the eyes, "The kettle's over there, the tea bags are just in that cupboard above the-"

"A tea boy?!" He gaped, the cogs in his head clicking into plave, "You got me a job as a tea boy?! That's why you didn't tell me!"

Bulma sighed again, looking a little guilty, "Oh Gohan everyone's got to start somewhere. And you're not just a tea boy, you'll be running errands, doing a bit of filing, things like that!"

"You've _got_ to be joking."

"I'm not joking mister," she continued, her eyes narrowing in disapproval at his tone.

The teenager groaned, leaning up against the counter, "You said it yourself Bulma, I'm smarter than most of the people that work for you! I know I can do their job just as well, if not better!"

"Really now?" she scoffed, folding her arms across her chest and giving him a pointed look, "Prove it."

"Prove it?!" Gohan gaped, "Bulma you know-"

" _I_ know," she pressed, "But show me a certificate that officially proves to me that your good at maths and physics, at least at a secondary school level."

"Well I-"

"Exactly," said Bulma, "I'm sorry Gohan I can't just give you a job off the bat with no qualifications, what about all those interns that have worked hard and passed their exams to get in here? You've only got as far as informal tests;and although I might be able to get you the chance to take your end of school exams next summer, this is all I've got. Who knows, you might not need any qualifications and work your way up from here, stranger things have happened. Oh don't look at me like that kid, it would be immoral of me to just hand you an apprenticeship!"

"It's immoral of you to make me a bloody tea boy," Gohan grumbled.

"Give it a chance," she cooed, offering him a smile, "At least it gets you out of the house huh? And keeps you out of trouble."

"I suppose," he muttered glumly.

"Brilliant," Bulma grinned, checking her watch, "Right, it's now ten to nine, I'd better let you get on with work!"

"Whatever."

"What was that Mr. Son?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

The young saiyan sighed, "I mean, yes Miss Bulma."

He felt ridiculous. Having had been instructed to change out of his suit, he was subjected to wear a navy blue polo shirt with red piping - exactly the same as the cleaners and canteen staff. He was more annoyed that the shirt did nothing to hide his scar, though no one seemed to have pointed it out yet. Three hours in, and so far he had spent the majority of the morning interrupting the engineers asking if they fancy a cuppa. None of them looked like they needed any help with their work, and even when Gohan had politely asked he had been ignored.

He found he was surprisingly good at making tea and coffee, his speed meant that he could make around ten cups a minute, which some people seemed more than grateful for. It seemed that Capsule Corp. was fuelled by caffeine after all, no wonder Bulma drank so much coffee.

The young saiyan was on his fourth round of the complex that morning, the metal tea trolley clattering as he pushed it in front of him. It didn't take him long to stuff his headphones in his ears, turning up his rock music so that it blocked out the heavy drilling in the main wing. Gohan bustled past the workers, only stopping when someone flagged him down for a refill.

He was about to make his way back to the kitchen so that he could sneak out for a quick cigarette, when he caught sight of the bunch of interns that he had seen earlier. They were gathered around part of the ship engine as a tall balding man instructed them. Gohan watched longingly, as the teacher passed the socket wrench to a sandy haired boy to let him have a go at taking it apart.

The older teens looked at their mentor in interest as he started making motions with his hands. Gohan had never seen that type of engine before, intrigued, he took out one of his earpieces and abandoned his trolley, stealthily making his way up to the small group.

"… so you see how that would only work on this model," the mentor continued, "It's complex, but I'm sure when you've taken it apart and put it back together a few times you would be able to make sense of it in no time."

"Fascinating," a black haired girl nodded, "But I'm curious to know how this sort of engine would cope with the change in atmospheric pressure."

The man smiled, "Ah Iris, now that is a good question. But I would like you to research that for one of your projects this year. I want a two-thousand word report before Christmas and you must be able to demonstrate just how different pressures might effect the inner workings of this piece at the start of the new year. The labs, as I'm sure you know, are available to you twenty-four hours a day, so yes, you may work on your projects after hours."

The young saiyan was almost drooling at the thought. What he wouldn't give to be working throughout the night, his hands covered in oil and grease, figuring out the components of a piece of machinery. He would have to build a pressure simulator of course, similar to Bulma's gravity chambers, to show how much pressure the engine could take. A two-thousand word essay was nothing, he could easily do it in a night.

He sighed inwardly, he would much rather be doing that than stuck trailing a sodding tea trolley around all day.

Speaking of.

"HEADS UP ON THE FLOOR! MOTOR COMING IN!"

 **CRASH**

Gohan winced, the sound echoing throughout the bays of the complex as a large motor was lowered from above. The little group he had joined looked up in shock as a collective gasp sounded around him. People walking on upper floors who had heard the noise were peering their heads over the balconies. Workers in white coats surrounding Gohan groaned and muttered noises of despair, slowly, the young saiyan turned, silently praying that it hadn't hit what he thought it had.

"WHAT TOSSER LEFT THE TEA TROLLEY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLEEDIN' FLOOR?!"

The halfling sighed, Bulma had instructed him to grab an early lunch after he had no choice to go and ask her where he would be able to find a new trolley. She was both shocked and amused that he had been at Capsule Corp. three and a half hours and had already managed to break something.

After being yelled at by several employees, some of which the company's finest scientists, Gohan had managed to salvage some of the china, although most of it was slightly chipped. He was just thankful that the motor hadn't been damaged, he would have been in a lot more trouble if that had been the case..

He yawned as he sat himself at one of the canteen tables, getting out his sandwiches and taking an enormous bite. He never realised that being a tea boy could be so exhausting.

As he ate, Gohan caught sight of the interns he had seen in the labs. They made their way through the canteen, lining up to get their food before sitting at the next table over, talking casually over a news article one of them was reading.

The teenager couldn't help but roll his eyes, as a picture of The Gold Fighter beamed out at him - _'Crime rates drop! Study shows: The work of The Gold Fighter!'_

That was the last thing he needed right now.

It was true that ever since he and Videl managed to thwart Borbonne's plans and put Eddie the 'L' behind bars, did everything go quiet all of a sudden. The Gold Fighter had barely been called upon all summer, and when he had it was only for chasing down speeding cars or small residential robberies. Gohan had thought that maybe Borbonne had given up on his plans, but Videl wasn't convinced, and like the stubborn girl she was, wouldn't rest until he was locked up in a police cell.

Although it was a positive step, he still didn't like looking at himself, as his alter ego was splashed across newspapers and magazines.

"I still can't believe that there's a real superhero out there in our life time," The sandy haired boy who Gohan recognised as the one with the wrench sighed whimsically as he put down the newspaper, "It's surreal."

"Surreal is right," the mousy haired girl next to him said sceptically, "I don't care what people say, it's impossible for normal people to be able to crush guns with their bare hands and fire beams. There's got to something in that suit of his - and no kid is smart enough to make that himself, I think he's had help from somewhere."

"Oh Erin, so what if he's a bit of a Bruce Wayne? It's still cool," another girl with long black hair and glasses stated.

Erin shrugged, taking a bite of her mashed potato.

"Funny though," the boy opposite the black haired girl frowned, "The paper failed to mention that Stanley Coyne was killed last week."

"Oh come off it Thomas, just because your Dad works for Mechacorp you believe that complete tosh their spouting?"

Thomas shook his head, "I'm just saying his death was strange, some kind of weird burn on him but no sign of fire or struggle."

"They put it down to a heart attack," the black haired girl spoke, "There was no reason for them to print anything but an announcement in the obituaries!"

Gohan, who had been following the conversation closely, couldn't believe his ears and suddenly blurted, "Stanley Coyne is dead?!"

The four interns turned to him in interest, as Erin spoke; "And you are?"

"He's the new general assistant, surely you recognise him from earlier?" said Thomas, before Gohan could speak. The boy gave him an amused smile as he addressed him, "Sorry about your trolley mate, not a great start to the morning eh?"

The young saiyan snorted, "You're telling me, too bad I wasn't under it as well."

"That bad huh?" Thomas chortled along with the rest of the group, "How long have you worked here for?"

"First day today," said Gohan, raising a fist in mock victory.

"Ouch."

"Yeah," he sighed, before attempting to get back on topic, "Sorry, what were you saying about Stanley Coyne?"

Thomas blinked, "Oh yeah, Mechacorp is in uproar at the minute. That's why I'm surprised no one's run their mouth to the press yet. Why do you ask anyway? Did you know Mister Coyne?"

"In passing," He shrugged, "I just didn't know he had died was all."

The young saiyan was surprised when Thomas motioned for him to join them.

"Oh here we go," the other boy of the group groaned as Gohan sat down.

Thomas ignored him, "Word has it that it was The Borbonne Family that did it. He left a note next to the body apparently-"

"What a load of rubbish!" the boy spouted again, "You trying to scare the new kid or something?"

"Hush Roy," the black haired girl hissed.

"Said something along the lines of, 'your weapons will be as useless as a corpse against us'. Freaky huh?"

Gohan stared at the fair haired boy, it certainly was more than a little freaky. And why hadn't Bulma mentioned the death of Capsule Corps. biggest rival to him? Maybe she didn't know, it wasn't front page news, no, all the media cared about these days was The Gold Fighter.

As much as the young saiyan disliked the man, Coyne didn't deserve to be murdered, if it even was a murder that is. Thomas seemed to think so.

"My Dad's team were the ones that found the body," he explained, "proper shook them up it did."

The young saiyan frowned, something told him there had to be a clue somewhere on the body relating to where Borbonne would strike next. But the big question was how Borbonne was able to infiltrate such a high security building such as Mechacorp, let alone murder it's CEO. The death certainly did sound suspicious - he expected The Gold Fighter would be paying Videl a visit soon.

"Can we please stop talking about this now?" The girl named Erin whined, "All this morbid talk is ruining my lunch!"

Gohan was offered to join them for the rest of the lunch hour, although Coyne's death wasn't mentioned again. He learned the names of the interns, Thomas, Erin, Roy and Iris. They were all aged eighteen and nineteen, and were shocked when Gohan told them his ag,; they expected him to be older. They had laughed when he told them, colourfully, how his first day was going, and he quickly found that his initial jealously of them melted away as they finished their lunch.

He had been rather disappointed when they had to return to work, mainly because he was left with his own thoughts. Thomas had been adamant that Coyne's death wasn't due to a simple heart attack, and despite what the other interns were saying, Gohan had always been a good judge of character, he couldn't help but believe the boy.

The afternoon passed by slowly, and Gohan was relieved when five o'clock rolled around. He exited the large building along with everyone else, but as he walked out into the grounds, he caught sight of a certain Namekian from over the hustle and bustle of people heading home for the day.

"Hey kid," said Piccolo on his approach.

"What are you doing here?" asked Gohan, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Came to see how your first day was."

The teenager sighed, feeling a little guilty, "Thanks, it was alright."

His mentor stared, "Good."

"Sorry for yelling at you, and storming off," he mustered finally, looking up at him.

"And ignoring me?" Piccolo pressed.

"Yes alright Piccolo, I've been a brat, okay?" Gohan huffed heavily.

"Well I'm sorry for trying to push you too hard, I was only doing what I thought was best. I know now thats not what you needed."

Gohan offered a small smile, "Thanks, I should head home, Mum's just itching to interrogate me."

"I'll come with you," said Piccolo, before catching the teenager's incredulous stare, "What? It's been a while since we just flew together."

"Just flying?" the young saiyan asked specifically, "You sure this isn't an elaborate plot to get me on my own before Vegeta comes hurtling out of nowhere and you both gang up on me?"

"You're starting to develop a complex," the Namekian chuckled darkly, "For your information, Vegeta and I have taken to exploring our power separately. We think it's best for our growth."

"Your ego's more like," Gohan grinned wickedly, "Honestly, if I didn't know any better I'd say you pair are starting to get competitive…"

Piccolo glared at him as they lifted into the air, "Shut up Gohan."

 **xxxx**

The next day saw Gohan take a different route home from work, one via Satan City. His mother was raving when he returned with Piccolo after his first day, and after scolding him for not replying to her onslaught of text messages, burst into tears exclaiming how there was still hope for him yet.

His second day as the glorified tea boy of Capsule Corp. was just as uneventful as the first, if the fact of the destroyed tea trolley was ignored of course. He ate lunch alone, as the intern's had run over in one of their experiments, so he didn't have anyone to talk to apart from Chrissie at reception, and all she did was fawn over him.

So, after taking a longer lunch than he was supposed to, Gohan used his watch to contact Videl as The Gold Fighter and managed to arrange to meet up after she had finished school.

The young saiyan knew Bulma would positively string him up if she found out he had snuck out of work before the end of the day. But Videl's school day finished at three and he didn't want her to get bored of waiting for him. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Videl was a lot more acquainted with police records than he, and might know something more about Stanley Coyne's death.

When he arrived at Orange Star High School, she was already waiting for him on the roof. Without waiting for some snarky comment from the girl, Gohan launched into what he knew about Coyne and his suspicions. Videl frowned, listening intently as he spoke; and remained in thought after he had finished.

"Videl?" The Gold Fighter mustered, "Are you going to say anything? Because you've just been staring like that for about five minutes."

"I'm thinking," she said, ignoring his agitated tone, "Of course I've heard of Stanley Coyne's death, there was a brief story about it on the news the other day, but they said he died of a heart attack."

"That's what I want to find out," said Gohan, "Because from what I've heard, it sounds a lot more suspicious than that."

"I agree, it certainly sounds like Borbonne's doing, attacking the head weapons company like that," Videl mused, "But it'll be impossible for me to access West City's police records, I only have access to Satan and East City's."

The teenager groaned, "Oh come on, you're the daughter of the world champ aren't you? I know! Some people find you attractive! Can't you just bat your eyelashes or something? Flirt with the coppers?"

Videl stared at him, "you've got to be joking."

"No honestly, some people find you attractive," he replied.

If looks could kill.

"Ugh, this is so frustrating," Gohan huffed, throwing his arms up in the air.

"You're telling me," said Videl, "I just wish I knew what Borbonne's motive was. At first I thought it was just getting money for arms so he could cause more chaos and control the major gangs in the world. But from what it looks like he didn't steal any weapons from Mechacorp. What's he hiding?"

"Something bad I predict," the young saiyan sighed, "I just wish we could get access to those records."

The girl frowned again, looking deep in thought; "You said something earlier, about finding out for yourself… then why don't we do that?"

"Do what?" Gohan blinked in confusion.

"Inspect the body of course!" she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "There might have been some clues that have been overlooked. You said that you heard the cause of death was just put down to a heart attack because they couldn't find anything else, right?"

"Right…"

"Then they wouldn't have bothered looking into the postmortem results any further would they?" she pressed.

"You seem to know a lot about this sort of thing," he observed, not sure whether to be scared or impressed.

"I want to be an officer when I'm a big girl," Videl mused smugly, "I have to know about these sort of things. So, are you in or what?"

"What for exactly?"

"I'm sure with a little persuasion that the Champ's daughter and The Gold Fighter can get into anywhere," she grinned, looking pleased with herself, "Police records can come up inconclusive, we're better off investigating for ourselves."

"Are you suggesting we go to the morgue?" Gohan grimaced.

Videl rolled her eyes, "Finally, you caught on. You can fly behind my copter, there's no way I'm being carried by you again."

Watching her clamber into the yellow jet, the halfling sighed, "Wow Videl, you sure know how to show a bloke a good time."

 **xxxx**

In all fairness, Gohan hadn't anticipated spending his evening at West City Hospital's Mortuary, and by the looks of the Mortician and his assistant's faces, they hadn't expected The Gold Fighter and Videl Satan to waltz in and demand to inspect the body of Stanley Coyne either.

'Police matters', was all Videl had offered to tell them, before barging her way through to the chamber where the bodies were kept.

Although the young saiyan had certainly been acquainted with cadavers in the past, he had never been to a morgue before. It was cold and dark, shiny metal cabinets lined the back wall, whilst steel table's stood in neat lines in the centre of the room. Various equipment lay on silver trolley's next to the few tables that had bodies upon, a white cloth strewn over the top of them.

The lights flickered to life as they stepped into the room, and Gohan and Videl were almost blinded by the sudden brightness. There was the familiar, musty smell of death in the air, which caused the halfling to wrinkle his nose in distaste. Videl looked even more uncomfortable, but simply shot him a murderous glare when he asked her if she was alright.

"He came to us straight after they found him," the mortician drawled in a thick voice, taking the sheet clean off the body, "With no family to speak of and the postmortem to carry out, we're still deciding on what to do with the body."

Gohan heard a sharp intake of breath from Videl as he stared down at the lifeless form of Stanley Coyne. His chubby face, now pale and sunken, had turned a horrid grey and blue colour around the eyes and lips. A white hospital gown covered his enormous belly, contrasting with his darkening skin. His hair was limp and dry, the rings on his fingers had long since been removed.

"Speaking of the postmortem," the teen saiyan questioned, not taking his eyes off the body, "Can we have a look through your findings?"

The mortician snorted, "I hardly think there's any point, the results were inconclusive, the only medical reason I have to draw on is the fact that this fellow was rather overweight. Heart attack - like most cases nowadays. I don't know why the police have sent you youngsters to investigate in the first place, I thought the case was closed."

"Well thank you, you've been remarkably unhelpful, you can go now," Gohan stated in annoyance, brushing past the man and leaning closer to the body.

"Well i never," he spluttered, turning on his heel and storming away in offence, "in all my years!"

The young saiyan ignored him, rather glad the nosy git was out of his way. He bit his lip, staring at the man that once was Stanley Coyne, before taking a deep breath and ripping apart his gown at the chest.

"What are you _doing_?" Videl hissed, finally over her initial shock of seeing a dead body.

"Heart attack my arse," Gohan snorted, inspecting the man's chest, "What the bloody hell do they call this?"

Just as Thomas had said, a large burn spread from Coyne's navel, over his chest and up to his left shoulder blade.

"What is it?" Videl asked, a little pale as she stared at the bubbled flesh.

"Ki burn," he stated, his mind racing.

Stanley had been hit with a Ki blast, there was no doubt about it, close enough and it would have blasted right through him. By that logic, it looked as though it had been fired from a distance, but was still enough to kill him. For Gohan and his friends, it may have left a small mark, but for a normal human, a hot ball of Ki would have been able to fry him from the inside.

It stirred the question of whether it was actually Borbonne's work, then again, he had been known to associate with brutes that were Ki users in the past, such as General Tao. But someone like Tao wouldn't have been sneaky about this sort of thing, he would have blasted clean apart Stanley apart. No, someone who had experience in Ki control wouldn't have been this tentative to use it.

So who was it? If it was one of Borbonne's goons, then how on earth were they able to use Ki? It would cause some serious damage if they could.

"What the bloody hell is a Ki?"

Gohan sighed, as Videl's angered shouts cut through his thoughts. It seemed she had been trying to get his attention for a while, and was dangerously close to his face.

"This!" the halfling shot back, illuminating a ball of ki in his palm for a split second before dissipating it, shrugging as the soft glow left her eyes, "In a nutshell."

"B-but that's just-"

"If you say tricks again Videl, so help me I will shove my boot up your backside," he growled, "Now do me a favour and be quiet, I'm trying to think!"

The girl frowned angrily, "I'm just trying to understand you pillock! You're the one who asked for my help remember?"

"Alright, sorry," he sighed, turning towards her, "I'm just struggling to get my head around it myself. Ki, or, life energy rather, is very difficult to control and if Borbonne has use of it, then there could be trouble."

"Then you think we were right to worry about Borbonne?" she asked.

"Judging by the look of this bloke, I'm more worried about who his accomplices are," replied Gohan, staring back at the burnt flesh on the body's torso.

Frowning to himself, he called the mortician back inside.

"Is there something I can do for you?" he asked haughtily as he approached.

"Actually yeah," the young saiyan spoke, "Did you report on the burn to the man's chest?"

The mortician blinked at him, "Well of course, but it didn't relate to the cause of death. We put it down to a work injury, man deal's with dangerous tools you know."

"As CEO?" Videl scoffed, "I doubt it."

Gohan rolled his eyes at the man, "If you had bothered to open him up, you would have found that his entire chest cavity had been cooked to well done, tell me, did you actually do you job properly? Or did you decide to skip over that fact?"

The mortician winced before lowering his voice, "Are you mad boy? Can you imagine the pandemonium that would cause? No one knows how it happened, it's best to keep things like that under wraps, the press would have a field day!"

"The public have a right to know the truth," Videl snarled, "I hope you haven't kept this snippet of information away from the police, else I'll be obliged to report you."

He coughed and spluttered, giving the teenager's all the information they needed to know.

"Well Miss Satan," said Gohan, shooting the man a glare, "I'd say that concludes our investigation for tonight, shall we?"

The girl nodded, taking one last look at Coyne's body before following him out of the morgue and into the night.

"How did you know that?" she asked once they had left the building.

"Familiar with the attacks," he replied simply, "Damn it, I was hoping I was wrong."

"But what does it all mean? You're saying Mr. Coyne was attacked?"

Gohan sighed, a sudden breeze brushing through his long golden hair, "I'm not saying he was attacked Videl, I'm saying he was murdered."


	14. Overpaid and Underage

**Chapter Thirteen**

 **Overpaid and Underage**

 **xxxx**

With Stanley Coyne's murder officially under investigation, Videl had informed the young saiyan that she would attempt to find out more about Borbonne's whereabouts before doing anything rash. They both agreed that not catching the criminal mastermind sooner could result in more brutal deaths.

Although he was slightly miffed at the girl when she had proposed that she would just call him when _she_ needed him, he couldn't help but feel a little relieved. Working full time was certainly more gruelling than school, despite the fact that he had no homework to come back to. He hadn't even had chance to catch up with Bulma about her rival's murder, though he had managed to inform Piccolo on the strange goings on.

His mentor agreed that he had every right to be vigilant, though maybe he should leave the majority of the work to the police, The Gold Fighter wasn't there to serve as a detective after all. Though Gohan couldn't help but feel a little responsible, he had let Borbonne leave Chazke Village unscathed all those years ago, apparently, the young super saiyan hadn't scared him enough into leaving his life of crime.

Despite his troubles as The Gold Fighter, the teenager found that he was settling into his role at Capsule Corporation rather well. After only being there a few weeks did he already knew almost everyone's tea and coffee order.

Autumn had arrived in West City, and Gohan hadn't realised just how cold the bunker got at work. He was constantly supplying people with hot drinks, and fixing heaters that had packed in due to overuse. He would sit with the interns at lunch and found he got on with them best out of anyone, they had even invited him to a New Year's party in the student digs in West City.

Other than the prospect of a party with his new friends in the near future, the only other truly exciting thing to happen was that of the birth of Bulma and Vegeta's second child.

A little girl, Bulla, that was the spitting image of her mother, right down to the blue eyes and blue wisps of hair. Though it seemed she had inherited Vegeta's scowl, which Gohan had quickly found out when he had first held her. Apparently, she was already rather attached to her father and didn't like being held by many other people.

Gohan thought this was hilarious, especially when he had caught the saiyan prince and princess in a rather disgruntled game of peek-a-boo when he had gone to visit one time on his lunch break - he had nearly gotten his eyebrows singed off by a Galic Gun for laughing so hard.

It seemed that Goten was more excited than Trunks about the arrival of the new baby, as every time Goten would ask a question about it, the other boy would scold him for interrupting the game they were playing or film they were watching. Though he was just as annoyed as Gohan was when they had been hurriedly awake on a crisp October morning by their mother when Bulma was in labour.

The addition of the newest saiyan was celebrated with a party by the Z-Fighters, though Gohan wasn't as excited as he hoped he would be.

At a time of peace, when the Z-Fighter's had settled with their families, it was only obvious that people would get married and babies would be born. He wouldn't put it past Tien and Launch having a kid soon.

Gohan couldn't help but feel as though he had missed out somehow, being born a lot earlier than the rest of the Z-Fighter's children. He was born too late in some respects, having a more 'uncle' and 'aunt' relationship with his father's friends, and too early to join in with the kids. They looked up to him as a big brother, which was nice, but he was certain that they would all have a strong bond with each other in the future. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous of them, but then again, as he had watched the children laugh and play at Bulla's welcoming party, he realised he would never want for them to have a childhood like he had.

Bulma had only taken a short maternity leave, and was back at work by the end of October, the saiyan princess firmly attached to her bosom as she filed through the built up papers on her desk.

Which is exactly how Gohan had found her when he had come to collect his first pay slip from the heiress that morning.

"Oh Gohan give me a minute," she said with a rather flustered smile when he had asked about it, "here, hold the baby."

The young halfling fumbled slightly as baby Bulla was thrust into his arms, causing her to let out a disgruntled squawk.

"Bulma, I can come back later-" he offered, as she sifted through a few documents, her stained shirt untucked and a pencil tucked behind her ear.

He had to owe it to her, for a woman who just gave birth two weeks ago, she was certainly determined.

"Don't be silly," Bulma tutted, biting her lip in thought, "Now where - aha! Here it is, sorry its not in an official envelope or anything, been a bit rushed off my feet."

"Er, thats okay Bulma," he smiled, as he swapped the now squirming baby for the piece of paper she held out to him.

As Bulla was settled by her mother, he quickly scanned the numbers on the bottom of the page, and what he saw caused him to swear loudly.

"Gohan! Not in front of the baby!" Bulma scolded.

"Sorry," he said hurriedly, his eyes darting from the slip to his boss, "But Bulma, this can't be right!"

"Of course it's right Gohan," Bulma insisted, "I may have a severe case of 'baby brain' due to the lack of sleep, but I think I can remember to put you on the payroll properly."

"But that's way too much for a tea boy!" he protested, "You can't be serious!"

"I _am_ serious," she sighed, "and you're not just a tea boy, your a general lab assistant, how many times do I have to tell you? Capsule Corp. is renowned for paying it's employees well you know. Do me a favour and stop worrying!"

He nodded, the slip weighing heavily in his palm, he had never had that much money to spend in his life. He didn't count the money he received off the Mayor, his mother had firmly shut that away in savings.

"Tell you what," said Bulma with a smile, "Why don't you put some away as savings, and just go and blow the rest on something you want? Enjoy it while you're young kid and don't have bills and babies to pay for."

So that was when Gohan spent the afternoon after work wondering around West City, trying to figure out if there was anything he wanted.

Cigarettes he already brought with his pocket money, though it didn't stretch far. He brought them from a small establishment in East City where he never got asked for any form of ID, however, they weren't cheap. He supposed that was something he didn't have to worry about now.

Crossing through the busy shopping district, the young saiyan couldn't decide. He could get some new clothes he supposed, a nice leather jacket wouldn't go amiss, he had been eyeing one up online for months. He could get some new black shirts, ones that had arms long enough to cover up his scar when he was out and about.

Huh.

Something that Lime had said a while ago sprung to the forefront of his mind as he passed by a small tattoo parlour. It's doors and window frames were darkly painted, with various artwork and drawings of tattoo pieces stuck to the windows.

It looked a little grimy inside, but the teenager was fascinated, and had his face pressed up against the pane before he knew it, his tail unravelling from his waist and wagging behind him in excitement.

Lime had always said he should cover up his scar with tattoos, it would look wicked. And Gohan couldn't help but agree with her. He didn't really care what his mother thought of it any more. it was his body after all.

He also had the money to do it.

But the young saiyan didn't know where to start, there were too many to choose from. There were a lot of skulls, some with daggers in their teeth and roses in their eyes, but that just wasn't his taste. More feminine ones were displayed, like butterflies, dolphins and other animals that just weren't him.

He jumped, as the door to the left of him opened with a soft tinkering, and out stepped a large bearded man, tattoo's covering his hands, fingers and forearms, right the way up to his neck from what Gohan could see poking out of his t-shirt. He had a bright red mohawk and a beer belly, a large metal ring dangling from his nose and his ears stretched to twice the size of Gohan's.

"You alright kid?" he spoke in a surprisingly kind tone.

"Yeah um," said the teen, trying to act cool and pointing to a random skull and crossbones, "How much is that one?"

"Depends what you want done with it, how big?," he said gruffly, eyeing him.

Gohan sighed, "I dunno, I just want something to cover this up."

The man's eyes widened, as the halfling took his arm out of the sleeve of his jacket, revealing his long jagged scar.

"Blimey, that looks nasty," the man mustered, "How'd you manage that?"

"Accident when I was younger," he replied simply.

"Say no more," he waved off, giving him a smile, "Cover ups are a speciality of mine. Looks like you'll be needing more than one though. A sleeve might be an idea, you could even start with a half sleeve, thought it depends on how much you wanna spend. Don't have to pick off the board if you don't want, could design you something…just how old are you?"

The man sighed, as Gohan's face dropped.

"Sorry kid, you have to be eighteen legally. Unless you've got an adult's consent."

The young saiyan huffed as he walked away, but not before thanking the man; Scab, for his time. He was annoyed that he was deemed too young for most things.

He knew Bulma would never agree to allowing him to get a tattoo, let alone a sleeve of them. He sighed, he really liked the idea too. Maybe he could get Yamcha to take him? He was sure he wouldn't mind if he got a tattoo, although the ex-bandit would probably be afraid of what his mother would say.

Adults consent? He scoffed, it wasn't fair! He had seen and done more in his fifteen years than most adults had in their lifetime, including saving the planet. And still, people treated him like a child!

Taking out a cigarette as he walked, he popped it in between his lips in frustration.

He stopped suddenly, the unlit cigarette dangling loosely from his mouth.

It was true, Son Gohan wasn't like any other fifteen year old kid, the check he had just deposited in his bank account was already proof of that.

He smirked with an idea coming to mind, and then, he spun on his heel and made his way back down the street.

 **xxxx**

"Whatever you do, don't freak out."

Dende frowned slightly, as Gohan stood before him upon The Lookout.

"Oh no, what have you done now?"

The young saiyan grinned triumphantly, pulling up his shirt to reveal his left arm.

He had headed to The Lookout straight after he was done, eager to show someone who wouldn't blow a gasket at the ink that had defaced his body. In all honestly, Lime would have been his first choice, but seen as they weren't on speaking terms, there was only one other person he could think of.

Dende stared at him with a curious expression, placing down the ancient textbook he was reading on the step beside him, before getting to his feet and approaching to the young saiyan.

"Wow," Dende gasped, inspecting the arm that was slightly inflamed and wrapped in cling film, "It is rather beautiful Gohan."

It had only taken a few minutes for Scab to draw up the design Gohan wanted, after the halfling had bribed him with three times as much as the asking price of course. Luckily, the man liked the teen enough to accept.

Scab was particularly surprised just how much pain the teenager could take, and ended up completing the tattoo of a dragon that ran from his elbow and up to his shoulder, twisting around his bicep as it went. It looked remarkably like Shenron, and Gohan couldn't wait to get another, he was already thinking of ideas to add to his sleeve.

"Thanks Dende," said Gohan, pleased at his friends' reaction, "I knew you'd agree!"

"Such spectacular artwork," the young Namekian nodded, "Did it hurt?"

"Well I-"

"Did what hurt?"

The teenager's jumped as Piccolo came out of the shadows behind them. It was already dark out, the steady glow of lamp light drifting out of the temple and out onto the tiles.

"Nothing!" Gohan exclaimed, attempting to pull down his shirt.

But it was too late.

Piccolo frowned, "Isn't that skin dyeing illegal for someone your age?"

The young saiyan rolled his eyes, "It's called a tattoo Piccolo."

"You didn't answer the question," his mentor growled, before turning to Dende, "Tell me Dende, is a fifteen year old getting a tattoo legal in the eyes of the law of this planet?"

Dende shifted uncomfortably as Gohan glared at him, "Um, no sir."

"Well it seems like you've been paying attention to your studies," Piccolo smirked.

"You actually have to learn that sort of stuff?" the teen saiyan blurted.

Before Dende could open his mouth, Piccolo answered for him, "Yes, he does. And it seems like Dende has been paying more attention to the laws than you have."

The teenager scoffed, motioning to the sky with his thumb, "Oh come off it, what are you going to do? Dob me in to the big guy upstairs?"

Piccolo narrowed his eyes, "Your mother is going to kill you."

"I'm positively shaking in my boots."

"This isn't funny Gohan," he shot back, "you should know better."

"I just wanted to cover my scar," Gohan told him honestly, his mentor's eyes softening slightly at his words.

He smiled, holding up his arm, "Besides, it looks awesome! Dende likes it, don't you Dende?"

Dende vigorously nodded his head until Piccolo gave him a pointed look.

"Fine, if it makes you happy," Piccolo sighed in defeat, "But you're on your own when your mother finds out, I could do without her screeching in my ears."

"Don't worry about it Piccolo," he grinned, "I'm a master of disguise remember? She wont suspect anything until I've at least got half a sleeve done, then she can't do anything about it!"

"I beg to differ," his mentor snorted.

"Come on, I got expelled, there's not much else she can do to me," said Gohan.

"You seem almost proud of that fact," said Piccolo.

He shrugged, "Well it gives me more time to help out as The Gold Fighter, and I actually earn money now…"

"That you spend on tattoo's and cigarettes."

The young saiyan pouted childishly, "I thought you said you wanted me to be happy."

His mentor scoffed, "It's late, shouldn't you be getting home?"

"Alright, alright," the teen said with a roll of his eyes, "I know when I've outstayed my welcome, I'll see you around!"

"Bye Gohan!" Dende called as he lifted into the air, "Good luck with Chi-Chi!"

Raising a hand in farewell, the teen blasted down Korin's tower and away from the sacred lands. He didn't understand why Piccolo was a bit miffed with him, it was only a tattoo after all.

Gohan bit his lip in thought, maybe he was having trouble with his training.

Still, it wasn't exactly his problem, Vegeta and Piccolo could train as much as they wanted, as long as he didn't have to get involved.

The sun had disappeared hours ago, and true to form he had had numerous missed calls from his mother. He was about to give her a quick call back when his wrist watch started to bleep. His flight slowing, he saw that the call was coming from Videl, the signal emitting from near the centre of Satan City.

The young saiyan immediately pressed the button on his watch, his clothes quickly replaced by the costume of his alter ego. Powering up to his super saiyan form, he shot towards the city, knowing it would take him at least twenty minutes to get there.

High over the skyscrapers he flew, past the huge park that was the only greenery for miles, until he followed Videl's Ki to a row of large estates with gated driveways.

Gohan had never visited this part of Satan City before, the paved streets were lined with neatly planted trees that ran symmetrically all the way up the roads. The trees were bare due to the season, but he predicted it would have looked rather bountiful in the spring and summer months.

Modern street-lamps lit the entrances to the enormous houses, and it didn't take the teenager long to spot where Videl's Ki was coming from.

He should have known really, he chuckled to himself, it was the largest house on the street, with golden plated gates and bronze statues of the Champ himself displayed amongst the rose bushes in the grounds. Four stories high, with several flash cars parked on the long driveway, they were so shiny that they looked like they had never even been driven. A fountain sat in the centre of the drive, directly in front of white marble steps leading up to the double faced front door.

Videl's Ki was coming from around the side of the building on the top floor, and Gohan couldn't help but smile when he caught sight of her. She was dressed in a pair of silk, full length pyjamas, her hair loose around her shoulders. It blew in the slight breeze as she lifted her face to look up at the stars.

The young saiyan had never seen the girl so contented, she had a warm mug of something cradled in her hands as she leaned against her balcony. Several floor to ceiling length windows stood behind her, and he could just catch a glimpse of her bedroom, which would have been pristine were it not for the small pile of dirty training clothes lying on the floor.

Surprisingly, she didn't yell at him for taking so long, instead, she gave him a small smile as he landed on the balcony beside her.

"Nice mansion," he said with a sly grin.

"Thanks," Videl replied, taking a sip of her drink.

Gohan raised an eyebrow, "Did you call me here just to brag or something?"

"About what exactly?" she smirked, "I would have thought you would have your own super sized mansion by now what with all the The Gold Fighter merchandise."

"Ah, I'm afraid I don't see any of that money," he explained with a wry smile, "The toils of having a secret identity you see."

She quirked an eyebrow, "What about all that money you had from the mayor?"

Gohan tapped the side of his nose with a finger, "That's for me to know and you to find out Miss Satan."

"Maybe I will find out one day," she said ominously, "Don't think that just because we're working together that it doesn't mean I've forgotten about unmasking you."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he grinned, "So why have you called me here, if not to unmask me?"

"We've got a lead," she stated, her eyes twinkling, though Gohan couldn't tell if it was just due to the starlight's reflection, "We think we know where Borbonne is hiding."

The young saiyan's green eyes widened, "That's great! How'd you manage that?"

"Infiltrated a drug deal," Videl said rather smugly, "One of Borbonne's lesser projects. Turns out he's got people everywhere, right down to the scum on the streets. This stoner who told me about his possible whereabouts was just a kid, he had no idea what kind of mess he was getting himself into."

"Cool," said the halfling, feeling fired up, "So what are we waiting for? Let's go hunt him down!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Videl snarled, hitting him on his left arm and stopping him in his tracks.

She blinked, when he inhaled a sharp breath of pain, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Training injury," he said through gritted teeth as he held his bicep, "Did you have to hit me that hard?!"

"We can't just rush into these things!" she tutted, ignoring him, "I was only told that Borbonne's hiding _somewhere_ in East City. Luckily for us that means we can be in the know if anything goes tits up. We need to pin point exactly where he is, get in and get out without anyone getting hurt."

Gohan scoffed, "Sounds a bit boring if you ask me, can't we just blast in there and fuck shit up as usual?"

"Certainly not!" she cried, "There will be no fucking up of _any_ shit! Not when they've got some of that Ki stuff!"

The young saiyan blinked, "I'm not even going to begin to tell you what was wrong with that sentence."

"Oh shut up," she growled, "All I'm saying is that we have to be careful. I'll work out a plan with the police, all we need you for is the man power. You can do Ki can't you?"

"Yes I can 'do Ki', I just flew here! You literally just watched me arrive!" he sighed, exasperated, "I'm going to have to give you the low down on this stuff eventually."

"Well that will have to wait," said Videl with a sadistic grin, "I've got a mafia to catch."

 **xxxx**

Winter arrived with a blanket of heavy snow across the East, the air bore a chill that caused the hairs on Gohan's tail to stand on end as soon as he ventured outside.

Luckily for him, the freezing weather had allowed him the excuse to wear long sleeved tops around the house, and his mother still had no clue about his building sleeve of tattoos. He and Scab had become rather friendly, and had even shared a couple of beers over his last session at the parlour.

But with winter came the festive holiday of Christmas time, and Gohan was subjected to baby sitting Goten, Trunks and Bulla whilst his mother and Bulma went Christmas shopping in West City.

So far, the teenager had spent the last three weekends leading up to the holidays looking after the three mischievous halflings. He couldn't understand just why his mother needed to go shopping so many times. He usually got presents for his family all in one shopping trip with Lime in East City, but this year, all he had time to do was to nip out on one of his lunch breaks to buy some perfume for his mother, a new edition Gold Fighter figurine for Goten - complete with cape, and some colourful designer ties for his grandfather.

Usually, he and Lime would make a night of their Christmas shopping. Last year, they had managed to sneak a bottle of whiskey into his rucksack whilst Lime was buying something at the counter - she had slipped in the money for it of course, they weren't into shoplifting.

They had spent the entire night making snowmen, until Gohan got considerably drunk and gave his snow-person an enormous pair of boobs before writing his name in the snow with pee, and then proceeded to throw up everywhere.

Ah, good times.

He couldn't believe just how different this Christmas was turning out to be, especially when he had spent an entire afternoon listening to Trunks and Goten pelt snowballs off the window pane when trying to get Bulla down for a nap.

He was greeted with a face full of snow when he had finally opened the window to yell at them, which only added to his frustration when he had to haul his mother's mountain of shopping all the way home when she returned, soaking wet.

In no time at all, it was Christmas Eve, and Gohan was subjected to peeling a large bucket of sprouts ready to take over to Bulma's the next day.

He was sat nestled on the sofa in his pyjamas with the bucket in between his legs, a mountain of unpeeled sprouts beside him. His mother and Goten were sat in front of the roaring log fire, which cast an amber glow around the cosy living room. The brightly decorated pine tree stood proudly in the corner, which the brother's had chosen and chopped down themselves in the woods. Glistening baubles adorned it's branches, a replica of the four star dragonball perched on top.

His brother's laughter reached his ears, as he lovingly placed a mince pie for Santa and a carrot for Rudolf on the hearth.

"Like that Mummy?" the little boy asked, tugging at his own pyjamas that had blue and red snowmen dotted all around them.

"That's wonderful Goten," Chi-Chi smiled, "I'm sure Santa will be very pleased when he comes down the chimney."

"And bring me lots of presents?!" He asked excitedly, his obsidian eyes widening.

"Well, we'll see about that," she said carefully, "Santa has to decide if you've been a good boy all year first, remember he has to check his list twice-"

"He's gonna find out whose naughty or nice!" Goten sang loudly, causing Gohan's ears to ring, "SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWWWWWN!"

"Very nice sweetheart," Chi-Chi grimaced after he had finished, "But don't work yourself up, you need to go to bed nice and early so that Santa can make his way here."

Goten pouted slightly at the mention of his early bedtime, whilst teenager rolled his eyes and picked off a few more sprout leaves before chucking them in the bucket.

"But I wouldn't worry," she smiled lovingly, ruffling his spikey mane, "I bet Santa will bring you lots of presents, I think you've been a very good boy this year."

"Really?" he beamed, his eyes twinkling, "'Cause I wrote him a humongous letter with Trunks and he helped me put it in the big red post box with his! Trunks had a really big list and said that Santa always gets him everything on it 'cause he's extra good. But Trunks thought I was silly not to ask for lots but I only really wanted one thing."

Chi-Chi blinked, "Just one? And what was it?"

Goten beamed, puffing out his chest proudly, "Daddy of course! I asked Santa to see if he could get Daddy home for Christmas!"

Gohan almost cut his finger with the knife he was using.

"Oh sweetheart," his mother smiled sadly, pulling the little boy to her chest.

A sharp pang of guilt shot through the teen's chest. He hated Christmas. With every year that passed and his little brother got older, the notion that the boy would never meet his father got harder to explain.

Everyone else seemed to be able to put on a brave face, as every year without fail after his father's death they would gather at Capsule Corp. for a celebratory feast. But despite the amount of people that surrounded him, the teenager never felt more alone at the festive season, which is why he always spent most of it running around the village with Lime.

She had always understood. He couldn't talk to Piccolo or Dende about how he really felt, it would put a downer on the whole occasion.

It was then did Gohan realise just how much he missed his best friend. They had both been stupid and stubborn. Weren't they grown up enough by now to reconcile after a stupid fight? He figured that maybe now was just as good a time as any to try to make things right, it was Christmas after all.

His mother jumped as he abruptly got to his feet, the bucket toppling off his lap and sending sprouts rolling across the carpet.

"I'm going out," the young saiyan stated as his mother opened her mouth.

"But Gohan!" Goten called, pulling himself away from Chi-Chi's grasp, "Santa's coming! You have to go to bed or else he won't bring you any presents!"

"I don't care," he replied sharply, without thinking, causing his sibling to gasp in horror.

"Son Gohan do not speak to your brother like that!" Chi-Chi growled, getting to her feet, "And you're not going anywhere! It's Christmas Eve for goodness sake!"

Gohan ignored her. Instead, he made his way to the front door, shoving on his boots and grabbing his coat and scarf from the coat rack.

"If this is any Gold Fighter nonsense young man-!"

"It's not," he interrupted, throwing on his coat and tying the scarf around his neck.

"Oh?" she retorted, "Then where on Kami's great Earth are you going?!"

"Just out," he shot back hurriedly, he wanted to speak to Lime before she went to bed, "I'll be back later, alright?"

"No its not alright young man and you can think again if I'm just going to let you just up and fly out of this door-!"

She was abruptly cut off, as the teenager opened the front door and quickly shot off into the night sky. The wind was cold and bitter against his cheeks as he flew. It was still snowing out, and snowflakes rapidly began to land on top of his ebony hair.

It only took him a few seconds to realise that he was still wearing his pyjamas underneath his coat. He shivered, the thin fabric did nothing to conceal him from the cold night air. He wrapped his tail around his middle for more warmth, and sped up towards the twinkling lights in the distance.

As the sleepy village came into view over the mountain, Gohan's nerves began to set in.

His sudden rush of adrenaline leaving him altogether, the young saiyan decided to take a walk through the village first instead of landing directly onto Lime's balcony.

Considering the way the girl had last spoken to him, he wouldn't want her to cause a scene if he appeared suddenly in the middle of her bedroom, so he thought it best to knock at the shop door.

Hopefully, he may be able to get a word in edgeways as Lime wouldn't be as ready to yell at him in front of her grandfather.

With his stomach twisting into knots, Gohan landed in one of the dimly lit alleyways not far from the village centre. Shaking his spikey fringe away from his face, and shoving his fists into his coat pockets, the teen began to trudge through the thick snow, his boots crunching with every step.

It never failed to snow heavily in the Eastern mountains, leaving the roads treacherous. Not many visitors came to the mountains from the surrounding towns and cities in the winter, so it was always blissfully quiet. It was very much secluded, the inhabitants of the small villages in the mountains were in their own little peaceful world, no tourists or visitors swamped the streets over Christmas.

They were empty, with only a few local stragglers hurrying back indoors.

Everything was closed by now, save a couple of pubs which cast warm shadows over the snow from the brightly lit windows. Laughter and music reached his ears as he made his way past an establishment known as ' _The Drunken Monkey_ ', one man almost bumping into him as he stumbled out the doorway, slurring a Merry Christmas to Gohan before he headed home.

The young saiyan wondered around, taking his time to walk up the crooked hill towards the Lao's green grocers. The little thatched roofs were covered in a blanket of snow, a wreath of holly was nailed to almost every door, Christmas lights blinking at him from the windows.

The bells of the old village church had begun to chime nine when he thought he should just man up and face the music, he didn't want to be rude and turn up too late. The snow had started to fall more gently now, and tickled his cold cheeks as he reached the old shop building. The sign was almost completely covered with snow, so much so it failed to sway in the breeze that suddenly swept through the village street.

With the freezing temperature becoming almost too much to bare, Gohan attempted to swallow the large lump in his throat, raising his fist and rapping his knuckles hard upon the wooden door.

He waited patiently for a few moments, his tail flickering behind him anxiously. His heart skipped a beat when he heard footsteps making their way down the stairs, the sudden glow of the shop light illuminating under the doorway.

The teen couldn't help but be a little disappointed, when it was Lime's grandfather that answered the door.

The shop bell chimed as the door opened inward, but Mister Lao did not open the door fully. Instead, he all but poked his head and torso through the crack as he stared outwardly at the young saiyan. Surprise greeted the old man's features at first, until his brow contorted into a deep frown.

"Merry Christmas Mister Lao," the teenager smiled kindly, "Is Lime in?"

"Yes, she is," Mr Lao replied shortly.

Gohan shifted a little on his feet, Mr Lao's blue eyed stare was making him feel uncomfortable all of a sudden.

Usually, the man would break into a winning smile at the mere sight of him, engulfing him into a hug and offering him the prospect of a nice cup of tea. The young saiyan had interrupted the Lao's Christmas Eve numerous times, and the old man usually made no hesitation to invite him in. Judging by his strange behaviour, he could only guess that he knew about the argument between Lime and he.

"Er, would it be alright if I could speak to her?" Gohan asked nervously, the knots beginning to twist in his stomach.

The old man's stare wavered for a moment as let out a heavy sigh, "I don't think that's wise Gohan, not right now."

The teenager blinked, "Oh."

"You should go home son," Mister Lao continued, "Your mother is probably wondering where you are, it's Christmas Eve."

The halfling frowned, but refused to give up that easily, "I know sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but I really, really need to speak with her."

Mister Lao sighed again, his palm resting on the door frame, "You should go."

"Look, I don't know what Lime's told you," Gohan said boldly, starting to get agitated, "But this is between me and her, and if you don't let me in-!"

"She knows you're here Gohan, she doesn't want to see you."

His throat ran dry as Mister Lao interrupted him. He could gather as much from the fact that she hadn't text him back in months, but he would have thought she would have least acknowledged the fact that he had made the effort to come and reconcile in person.

"I could sense you in the village earlier," Mister Lao explained, "I knew you'd come here sooner or later, so I told her."

At his words Gohan looked up just to see a flicker of curtains from the upstairs window. He could feel her Ki hovering above them, that Ki that usually made him feel so warm inside, but all it did now was made him feel horribly sick.

"Please sir," the teenager said helplessly, "I know what I did was stupid, but I thought it was right at the time! If I could just explain to Lime, if I could just do something-!"

"I think you've done enough," Mister Lao said stiffly, giving him one last look before shutting the door in his face.

The young saiyan was left in the snow, staring at the wooden door in disbelief. He stayed there for about a minute, staring as the light went out in the shop and he was stood alone on the dark porch.

Gritting his teeth, Gohan made his way down the stone steps and back onto the street. People had begun to filter out of the pubs, and joyous laughter reached his ears.

Standing outside the Lao's, he slowly turned his head to see that the curtains upstairs were no longer twitching. A mixture of anger and sadness pooled at the pit of his stomach. Lime had officially shut him out, without even attempting to hear his apology.

His tempter getting the better of him, the young saiyan kicked a nearby dustbin leaning up against the shop, breaking it clean apart and sending it's rotting contents spilling out onto the ground. Several dogs started to bark at the sudden clatter that echoed down the street, the switching on of the neighbour's bedroom light illuminating the pavement.

"What's going on out there?!"

Swearing under his breath, Gohan ran to the edge of a dark alleyway, before kicking off from the ground and hurtling himself through the sky. He really didn't want to have to face any more angry villagers.

Despite the increasing probability of his mother having a complete meltdown, the teenager did not return home. Instead, he sped over the vast mountain scape, not really paying any attention to where he was going.

After a while, and realising he was just flying around in circles, the halfling slowed down, blinking through the clouded sky as he approached the bright lights of Satan City.

He wasn't entirely sure what drew him here, but he soon became rather annoyed with himself that he had managed to wind up in the most sickening place on Earth at Christmas time.

He lowered himself into the streets regardless, the air becoming too cold to bear high up in the clouds. The snow was nowhere near as thick as in the mountains, however, the festive decorations and lights were a lot more multi-coloured and obnoxious in Gohan's opinion, and he walked slightly faster through the main shopping complex to get away from the giant glowing billboards of his face above.

It was getting late now, and the streets were practically deserted, particularly when he started to make his way out of town. He walked aimlessly for about half an hour before he decided it was getting way too cold for his liking, and was about to head back when a loud shout reached his ears.

His eyes darted around him under the streetlights, he didn't see anyone around. He was in a residential area, so hadn't had many dealings in these parts as The Gold Fighter. He wasn't sure if there was a pub near by or not.

Judging by the raucous heckling that followed a loud crash, he would have thought he guessed correctly.

That is, until he heard a girlish shriek, "Just sod off and leave me alone!"

"Oh come on, don't yeh wanna come have a drink with us?" A rowdy voice called.

Just as Gohan was about to investigate, did the commotion round the corner of the street he was on. In front, was a girl about his age with bright red hair, who was hurriedly walking away from a group of four lads who looked to be a few years older than him.

She was dressed in a jumper and short skirt, complete with high heels that the young saiyan couldn't even fathom how she managed to walk in them in the snow. The group on her tail were obviously drunk, tumbling and scrambling after her. Judging by the thunderous look on her face, they had been following her for a while.

"Don't be like that! Give us yeh number at least!" one slurred.

"Or a snog! Go on, one little kiss!"

"Yeh wouldn't be dressed like that if you didn't want a little something!"

Gohan growled under his breath, seething at the sheer nerve of the group.

It seemed their words had irked the girl too, as she span around on her heel and glared at them.

"Ooh see she does want it!" another wolf whistled.

 **SLAP**

The offender cried out, as the girl slapped him hard across the face, "Fuck _off_ and leave me alone!"

"Bitch!" He spat, causing her to squeal as he grabbed her forcibly by the wrist.

"Let me go!" she cried, panic evident in her brown eyes.

"Only being friendly we were," the tallest member of the group spouted, "Now just for that, you'll really get what your asking for."

"OI!" Gohan yelled suddenly, startling the group as they started to advance, "Get away from her!"

"Whose this, yeh boyfriend?" The man gripping her smirked, "That's alright, he can join in as w-"

The brute of a man didn't have time to finish his sentence, when the halfling's fist slammed into his face, sending him crashing to the ground.

The girl gasped in shock and awe, holding onto her now free arm that was tinged red from the man's grip.

Gohan steadied her to stop her from falling, averting his livid gaze away from the pathetic heap below, he asked, "Are you alright?"

"I know you!" she said suddenly, her eyes widening.

Slightly taken aback, the young saiyan blinked, "Er, you do?"

"Yes!" she smiled gratefully, "You were there at Capsule Corps. ball! Remember me? Its Angela, I was with Videl and Erasa, you're Gohan right?"

Staring at her for a few seconds, his memory finally kicked in, "Oh… oh yeah! Great to see you."

"You too!" Angela grinned in relief.

"Oi! As lovely as your little reunion is, we've got a bone to pick with you!" one of the foursome growled, as the others helped up their companion who was sporting a very bruised and bloodied nose.

"Yeah, a few bones actually," another seethed.

"Angela?" asked Gohan.

"Yes?"

"Do me a favour and run, go and hide and don't come out until I find you-"

"But how will you-"

"I'll find you alright? Just go," Gohan stated boldly, staring down the brutes.

"Be careful!" she said in a harsh whisper, "There's too many of them to fight!"

"Oh Angela," he grinned wickedly, "I'm not going to fight them, I'm just going to have a little chat with them is all."

"Well… alright…" the red head mustered, and with one last worried glance, she fled up the road.

Making sure she was out of sight, the young saiyan glared at the four men, just as one of them spoke.

"Yeh little bastard, look what at you did! She got away!"

"Alright, well first of all," Gohan started, taking a step towards them, "I've got to say that your technique here is all wrong."

The foursome stared at each other, confused. "Technique? What are you on about?"

"I'm just saying," said the halfling, "You're not very good at picking up women. Like, at all."

"Eh?"

"Point one," he stated, "Girls, or women for that matter, don't take lightly to being followed around by a group of drooling mongrels."

"Two," he continued, powering up a little so that a white aura billowed around him, "It's not a great idea to call them names. It's just common sense really. If someone called you a bitch, would you really want to sleep with them? Unless, I dunno, you're into that or something."

"What the hell?!" one of them gaped, "shut this kid up!"

With an almighty cry, did another sour brute hurtle towards him, but his fist merely stopped at Gohan's chin, causing the man to pull back his arm in agony.

"Three," Gohan smirked, taking another step as the men backed up, clutching his broken hand, terrified, "Manners lads. Manners! Didn't your mum's teach you how to treat a lady? Respect goes a long way you know."

"Who-who _are_ you?!" came a soft whimper.

"Oh, that was my fourth point," the young saiyan grinned, pushing his Ki up a little higher and allowing his ebony hair to turn golden, his eyes turning green and his golden aura lighting up the deserted street around them. "It would be wise for me to never catch you around here again, and especially hassling that girl, or anyone else for that matter. Am I clear?"

"Y-y-yes c-crystal clear M-mister Gold F-fighter sir!"

"We're sorry!"

"We was just messin' about!"

"We promise it'll never happen again!"

"Splendid," said Gohan, stepping forwards once more so that they fell onto their backsides. "Now run along before I change my mind and give you what _you're_ really asking for. What the hell, I'm feeling festive, I'll give you ten seconds… one…"

As soon as he began counting, did the foursome scramble to their feet, skidding on the snowy ground as they ran, sobbing as they hurtled around the corner and out of sight.

"Merry Christmas!" The teenager called after them, before exhaling and allowing his transformation to leave him.

Looking around, he cringed, he knew what he just did was risky. Anyone could have poked their head out of their bedroom window and witnessed an unmasked Gold Fighter yelling at a group of drunkards in his pyjamas. He could only hope that the men were intoxicated enough not to remember his face, and that Angela hadn't seen him transform.

Angela.

Locking onto her small Ki, he quickly found that she was squatting behind a parked car a couple of streets away. She smiled in relief as he approached, allowing him to grab her hand and pull her up to her feet.

"Oh thank the Gods!" she cried, before Gohan had to shush her for being to loud. Slapping a hand over her mouth guiltily, she let out a small whisper, "I didn't know what happened to you! I was about to call the police but my sodding phone died! Typical!"

"It's alright," he smiled, "Are you okay?"

"Fine thanks," she breathed, "Thanks to you, I mean. What did you say to them?"

"Just decided to remind them how to treat others," he explained with a wry grin, "Roughed them up a little."

"A little?" Angela scoffed, "You broke that guy's nose! Are you a martial artist or something?"

"Eh, I dabble."

"Cool," she beamed.

Gohan cleared his throat awkwardly, "Come on, we had better get out of here."

Angela obliged, and the pair walked through the dark cold streets, Angela eventually having to grab onto his arm for balance. He was right, she couldn't walk in those heels in the snow.

Being the gentleman he was, he offered to walk the girl home. She said she lived about a half hour walk from where they were, and was taking a short cut through the housing estate when she had a run in with those men.

"So, if you don't mind me asking," The halfling pipped up after around five minutes of walking, "What are you doing out so late on your own?"

"My friend Sharpener always has these massive house parties when his parents go away on holiday - on Christmas Eve, I know random right?," she chuckled, "Anyway, I didn't feel like staying even though my Dad said he'd pick me up in the morning. I was daft to think that I could get a taxi at this time on Christmas Eve. What about you?"

"Oh same, I had to go pick up some extra stuff for my Mum for dinner tomorrow and took a bit longer than I thought," Gohan lied, praying that she wouldn't realise he had no bags on him.

"Oh right, where to you live?" she asked.

"439 East District."

Angela gasped, "Bloody hell, that would have cost you a fortune in a taxi!"

"Ha ha yeah," he said nervously, "didn't really think about that, silly me…"

"Wow your Mum must be really strict if she sent you all the way out here! No wonder you've spend all night out away from her!" she scoffed.

Gohan let out an awkward chuckle.

"So… you need somewhere to crash?"

The young saiyan turned towards her as she stopped suddenly on the pavement.

Why was she looking at him like that?

"I'm just saying that you look pretty cold, you are in your pyjamas after all," she giggled, causing the halfling to blush slightly.

"Plus my parents will be in bed by now," Angela said suggestively, "And they never wake up early on Christmas Day…"

Gohan's eyebrows shot to his hairline as the girl have him a wicked smile.

She was quite attractive, especially under the soft glow of the winter stars. Angela had a very petite figure, with tanned long legs and a trim waist. He could make out that she had stuck fake eyelashes on for the party, but Gohan didn't really mind that, she had plump pink lips and a flawless complexion. She was pretty, but the young saiyan wasn't sure if she was necessarily his type. Her hair was straight, long and red, but not quite the same copper shade of red that Lime's was.

He shook himself mentally, it was about time he stopped being so hung up on the girl. It was ridiculous, pining after someone that had just about ripped out his heart and stamped on it until it shattered into a million pieces.

With another glance at the awaiting girl in front of him, Gohan made his decision.

"Angela, lead the way."


	15. The Trouble with Fangirls

**Chapter Fourteen**

 **The Trouble with Fangirls**

 **xxxx**

The next morning had come around all too fast for Gohan.

He had narrowly missed being caught by Angela's parents as he jumped from her bedroom window and fled down the drainpipe as to not cause any suspicion on Angela's part.

When he had speedily made it home, he found that his mother and Goten had already left for West City, the remains of wrapping paper stuffed in a bin bag next to the Christmas tree. His presents were missing, so he gathered his mother must have taken them to Bulma's in the hope he would turn up eventually.

Despite this, the teenager took his time, having a well deserved shower and cigarette out of his bedroom window before slipping on a pair of skinny jeans and black jumper and blasting off to Capsule Corp.

When he arrived, the entire brood of Z were already half-way through their Christmas dinner. His mother had nearly yelled his ears off, especially when he refused to give in to her interrogation as to his whereabouts and therefore made him sit and eat his meal before he was allowed to open his presents.

Still, the food was glorious, and just what the young saiyan needed to satisfy his aching stomach. Once everyone had had their fill, they retired to the living room where the young saiyan could finally open his presents. Aside from money and textbooks, he received a real leather jacket from Bulma, which he spent the rest of the afternoon wearing despite his mother's remarks that he looked like a punk.

It was a pretty standard Christmas Day by all accounts, the teenager stuck entertaining the kids whilst the adults watched cheesy television programmes and drank tipples of sherry, wine and beer. Gohan sat on the floor, bored, as the kids became distracted, leaving him with his usual disappointing glass of shandy.

He was sitting begrudgingly through another TV sitcom Christmas special when the programme was suddenly interrupted, and a frantic news anchor appeared on screen.

 _"We interrupt this programme with breaking news has just come in from Satan City-"_

The teenager leaned forwards anxiously, as the transmission shifted to a reporter shielding himself behind a police car, a barrage of gun shots sounded from the television as he whimpered.

 _"Yes I'm here reporting live from at Satan City's town square! A shoot out between rival gangs The East City Rotter's and Satan Sinner's has been going on for several minutes now. Police were called to the scene mere moments ago! Why these gangs have started attacking each other this time is unclear, but they're ruthless - ah!"_

An explosion sounded, causing the reporter to duck as smoke drifted across the screen.

 _"What was-?!"_ He coughed loudly, before his eyes widened in horror, _"Its Videl Satan! She has just disarmed a man with - a bazooka?! Oh my! This is very dangerous folks! Please stay indoors! Oh where is The Gold Fighter when you need him?!"_

"Well that's my cue!" Gohan beamed, as all eyes in the room turned to him.

"Yeah alright!" Trunks bellowed, "Gohan's going to fight the baddies!"

"Can we come big brother?" Goten asked excitedly.

"Certainly not!" Chi-Chi warned, turning to her eldest, "I want you straight back after you've sorted this mess out."

"No promises!" The halfling called, opening the window and blasting out into the sky, transforming as he went.

He reached Satan City in no time at all, dropping right beside Videl as she stood poised in the middle of what looked like an all out brawl.

"Merry Christmas!" He beamed cheerily, punching a gang member straight in the jaw as they lunged at him.

Videl glared, knocking out her own opponent, "What the bloody hell took you so long?!"

"Charming that," he scoffed, "Least you could do is say it back."

"Now is not the time!" she growled, ducking under an enormous leg of a brute that came hurtling towards her head. Taking her chance, she returned the favour by delivering a sharp knee into his groin.

The man howled in pain, tears streaming down his face as he sank to the ground in a quivering heap.

Gohan winced, "Ouch, now that's what you call a nut cracker."

It didn't take long for the crime fighting duo to clean up the rest of the fight, allowing the police to arrest the gangs and cart them off in riot vans. The young saiyan didn't feel like going back to Capsule Corp. so soon, and instead accepted the offer of hot chocolate and warm Christmas pudding, that the woman who owned the local cafe across the road had laid out for the hard working officers.

He and Videl had managed to escape the crowd of reporters that had suddenly swept the scene and were currently eating their pudding behind one of the police vans away from everyone else.

"No rest for the wicked eh?" Videl broke through the silence whilst they ate.

Gohan grinned, "Nothing like locking up a few baddies to brighten a Christmas afternoon."

"Baddies?" She scoffed, "just how old are you?"

He chuckled, "Must be my little brother's influence."

Her lips quirked upwards, "You have a little brother?"

"Er yeah," the halfling replied slowly. Shit, he didn't mean to let that slip.

"Is he golden too?" she asked in amusement.

The teenager shook his head.

"Ah, I see, so your unique are you?" said Videl with a wry smile.

He didn't answer, spooning a lump of pudding into his mouth instead.

"Shouldn't you be getting home?" he asked after he swallowed, attempting to change the subject, "Wouldn't want your dad getting lost on Christmas Day in that ginormous mansion of yours."

"Shut up," she replied haughtily, "It's not really a mansion. And I prefer spending as much time away from that place as I can if you must know."

Gohan blinked in surprise, and was about to ask her why when his vision was assaulted by flashing camera's.

"OH MY GODS! IT'S HIM!"

"Mr. Gold Fighter, will you sign my doll?"

"Will you sign my baby's face?"

The teenager couldn't believe his eyes as a gaggle of screaming girls surrounded him, causing Videl to snort in distaste. He had never really stuck around long enough after a fight to see the impact that all his crimefighting really had on his fans. And as he looked at the star struck group that mainly comprised of teenage girls, he couldn't help but feel as though he was missing out.

"Alright ladies! Calm down!" He laughed, as they surrounded him, "Has anyone got a pen?"

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" They screamed, causing his head to spin.

Dozens of selfies, autographs and various pairs of lacy underwear thrown at him later, Gohan finally bid an agitated Videl goodbye and blasted back to Capsule Corp., feeling rather dazed but considerably lighter.

As far as Christmases went, it hadn't been such a terrible one after all.

 **xxxx**

The new year brought new prospects for Gohan, he found himself sticking around a lot longer after his appearances as The Gold Fighter, causing his fan base to grow considerably more so. His mother and Piccolo found it rather concerning, but he couldn't see the problem in all honesty, he was only giving a bit of love back to his fans as it were.

If anything, he found the whole thing hilarious, especially when Hercule Satan had lost it in an interview when asked if he thought that The Gold Fighter might be an even bigger hit than the Champ himself.

 _"WHAT?!_ " Mister Satan had cried, _"Listen here, that scrawny kid may be helping out with crime rates with those fancy gadgets of his, but lets not forget that I SAVED THE WORLD!"_

Ah, if only they knew the truth.

He had been thoroughly enjoying his time spent as the golden haired superhero, and he had come to realise that he and Videl were quite the team. Still, she hadn't managed to find out the exact location of Borbonne's whereabouts, though luckily, there had been no other mysterious deaths to speak of as far as they knew.

Gohan had been so busy enjoying his time off from work that he almost forgot about the New Year's party he had been invited to by the interns. That was, until Iris text him asking if he was still going to be there. Although the New Year had come and gone a few days ago, the students of West City University had only just moved back into their halls of residence after the holiday.

So the young saiyan found himself walking down the dank and dingy corridors of the student halls on the Saturday after New Year, following the sound of blaring music to where the party was situated. His mother didn't protest when he had told her he was spending the evening at the university, although he may have deliberately left out the part where an alcohol fuelled party was involved.

The door to the flat was already open, and various students who were but a few years older than him were lined up in the corridor drinking and chatting. He pushed past them, entering the student flat that smelled rather musty.

Loud rock music emitting from a set of speakers in the corner pounded in his ears and the young saiyan didn't think he had ever seen so many people crammed into such a small space.

There were youths drinking and dancing in the living area, the worn sofa barely visible and the stained carpet near impossible to see. There was a crowd of people in the kitchen playing what looked like a drinking game. Various empty bottles and cans littered the tables and sideboards, and people were smoking out of a very large window at the back of the room.

He was about to go and join them himself when someone covered his eyes from behind.

"Guess who?!" a girlish voice laughed.

"Er, Santa Claus?" he teased, turning around and facing the girl.

Iris grinned, her eyes framed by dark make-up as well as her usual glasses. She was dressed in a simple black dress that was extremely complementary to her figure. He gave her a winning smile, it was rather strange to see the interns out of their uniforms.

"You made it!" she exclaimed, a glass of something strong smelling and fizzy in her hand, "I think Thomas and Roy are around here somewhere, have you got a drink?"

"Nah," he replied, "I only just got here."

"Well there's plenty of booze," she informed him, pulling on his arm and leading him to the kitchen, where a bunch of burly looking lads were cheering on another chugging a can of beer.

"Oi you lot!" Iris bellowed over the raucous, "This is Gohan, he works with us at C.C!"

The lads gave him a wave of acknowledgement, before returning to cheer on another one of their friends.

"Rugby team," Iris informed him, "Absolutely off there heads they are, but a nice bunch."

Gohan smiled, accepting a can of beer that she offered him. Soon enough, he was taken around the party being introduced to some of the intern's friends. He had bumped into Thomas and Roy, but the latter was too busy snogging Erin's face off to make conversation. He couldn't wait to tease him about it at work on Monday morning.

The party was in full swing, but the younger teen had soon lost sight of his friends in the crowd. He had just come back from having his tenth cigarette of the night when he wasn't sure if he should call it a night. He couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was missing, but he couldn't quite place it.

"Oi Iris' mate!"

Gohan looked up, he was just about to discard his empty beer can in the already overflowing bin, when one of the rugby lads called out to him.

"Uh yeah?"

"Fancy joining us for a round?" the brown-haired teen grinned, pointing at one of his friends, "These lot are a bunch of fanny's and there's a shot going spare."

Several tequila's later…

"WE LIKE TO DRINK WITH GOHAN, 'CAUSE GOHAN IS OUR MATE, AND WHEN WE DRINK WITH GOHAN, HE DOWNS IT ALL IN EIGHT… SEVEN… SIX… FIVE… WOAHHHH!"

"Yeah suck it Alan!" Gohan bellowed, throwing down his empty can to the ground as his opponent cried out in defeat.

"WHEEYYYYYYY!" The rugby team bellowed, throwing their arms around him in triumph as if they had just scored a try.

The halfling laughed along with them, feeling slightly giddy as he was saved from the fray by Iris.

"Enjoying yourself?" she giggled, sitting down on the sofa that was now free of teenager's.

"Yeah," said Gohan, his head a little fuzzy, "Thanks for inviting me."

"No problem," Iris smiled, "It was the least I could do."

"What do you mean?" he asked curiously, leaning back on the sofa beside her. it groaned under his weight, sending mothballs flying out of the cushions.

The girl shrugged, "I dunno, I guess I feel bad, I always see you trying to listen into our lectures."

He cringed, "Oh, you noticed huh?"

"Yeah," she nodded, her eyes widening suddenly, "but don't think that's the only reason we invited you!"

Gohan grinned wickedly, "Of course not, I'm a fucking riot."

"Well, the rugby team certainly seems to think so," she laughed, turning to him, "Don't worry, you'll be in our position soon I'm sure of it. Think about it, you've already got working at Capsule Corp. on your CV!"

"I suppose," he sighed, reaching forwards and grabbing an unopened beer from the coffee table.

"You know, I sort of envy you," Iris said after a while.

Gohan almost choked on his drink, "You envy the tea boy? Come off it!"

She chuckled, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear, "Well, only to the extent that you'll have more time to watch and practice before you get thrown in as an intern. I don't think I'll last much longer."

"Don't be daft!"

"No seriously," she said, her eyes baring a hint of sadness, "I think I'm going to fail. The projects our mentor has set for us are too hard. He's so brutal! I know how to take apart an engine and how it works, but haven't got a clue how to put it back together! And he refuses to show us."

The young saiyan thought for a moment, "Well, I could show you."

Iris snorted, "No offence Gohan, but I don't think you would understand the complexities of a spacecraft engine."

"Really now?" he guffawed, "you one hundred percent sure about that?"

"All I'm saying is that you've had no training," she said simply.

" _I_ don't need it," he stated smugly, getting up off the sofa and pulling her with him, "Come on, I'll prove it."

"You're serious?" she laughed.

"Oh completely," said Gohan, "I'll show you that there's no need to feel sorry for this tea boy."

They left the party with complete disregard, walking the short distance to Capsule Corporation with drunken mirth. Seen as it was still officially the holidays, there wasn't a soul around and luckily Iris' staff card managed to slip them both into the teaching labs.

She watched as the young saiyan located her project and her jaw dropping to the floor when he had successfully put the entire engine back together, albeit a little slower than usual. He was a little drunk.

He stood up beneath the harsh light of the lab, a smirk playing on his lips, "Told ya."

"B-but thats amazing! How did you manage to do that?!" She cried in disbelief, "and why the hell aren't you already on an internship like the rest of us?!"

"Your guess is as good as mine," he sighed, twirling the spanner in his palm and looking back at the engine. "Now if I were you, I'd be looking at building a simulator to test the pressures of this thing, thats what he wanted right? It'll take some time but it'll knock his socks off."

Iris squealed, stumbling a little as she threw her arms around his neck, "That's amazing Gohan! Your like a boy genius!"

"I try," he joked, her arms holding him tightly.

"Will you help me?" she asked, her eyes pleading with him.

"Well, I suppose I could - ," said Gohan but he was shortly interrupted by Iris' lips slamming into his.

Shocked, but by no means deterred, the young saiyan forcibly kissed her back, grabbing her hips and pressing her up against the work bench. Blueprints and notes fluttered to the floor as Iris let out a deep moan, causing his head to spin with lust. He didn't even care that they were in the middle of the engineering labs, or that Bulma would surely kill him if she ever found out.

It was safe to say that Gohan and Iris did not return to the party for a while, but the young saiyan didn't feel like he was in any way missing out.

Monday morning rolled around with a high winter sun that shone brightly over the grounds of Capsule Corporation. The teenager carried on with his work as usual, but ended up making several more trips to the intern's lab than he usually would have.

He didn't really know the rules of inter-colleague relationships at Capsule Corp., but he couldn't really care less. As the month flew by, he gradually started to spend his evening's after work helping out the other intern's with their projects, the deadline drawing nearer. However, Iris always stayed behind, claiming she needed to work a bit more on hers.

Gohan was more than willing to work well into the night with her, though the majority of their time wasn't spent drawing up blueprints.

No one suspected a thing, except for when the professor found out that the tea boy was basically teaching the interns more than he was. Turns out that Thomas had accidentally let slip that he was staying over after hours with Gohan, and the man wasn't all too impressed with it.

"You there, boy."

Gohan blinked as he placed a cup and saucer down next to Iris' workbench, brushing her lower back with his tail teasingly as he did so. The young saiyan had come to find that girls didn't mind the furry appendage as much as he thought they would, especially Iris, the girl was smart enough to understand how genetics worked after all and didn't really question it when he said that it was a trait he had inherited from his father's side.

He looked up to see the professor, Professor Whats-his-face - Gohan never paid much attention to his name.

Professor Whats-his-face narrowed his beady eyes at the teenager, "Is it true that you've been instructing my students after hours?"

"Well, just a bit," admitted Gohan, the intern's shifting uncomfortably in their seats, "I just thought they might need some help."

The balding man raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes, "You did, did you? And you think you are qualified enough to liaise with university students?"

"Please Professor," Iris started, "It's not Gohan's fault-"

"Depends what you mean by qualified, _Professor_ ," the young teen shot back, causing the intern's to gape at him both in horror and awe.

"Indeed," He almost smiled, "Why don't you come with us, er, Gohan is it? There's something I want to show the class."

Exchanging a look with the interns, he abandoned his trolley, following the professor out of the lab and into the main complex. They arrived in front of the massive spaceship, that was still being worked on relentlessly by the employees.

"This spaceship, is one of the most pioneering concepts of our time," the professor started, "our top scientists have been working on it for months, the aim is to get it to travel to the edge of the galaxy within three-hundred days."

The interns gasped in awe, yet Gohan wasn't phased, he had reached old Namek in less than that.

"Now, there is a problem," he explained, "Obviously, to reach the edge of the galaxy, the ship would need to go beyond ultrasonic speeds."

"But thats impossible!" Thomas gasped.

The professor smiled, "Difficult Thomas yes, but not impossible. So who knows how one might solve the problem of the ship breaking up in the atmosphere due to heat, pressure and pure speed?"

The interns stared blankly.

"Come on now," he laughed, "I'm not expecting you to solve it, trust me, our top scientists are racking their brains at the moment trying to figure out a way to do it. I'd just like to know what you would try. Gohan? You think you know it all, what would you do?"

Gohan gritted his teeth in anger, before thinking for a moment and replying simply, "Well, to achieve that kind of speed without the whole thing disintegrating, you'd need a shield to support the craft."

The professor looked positively bemused, "A shield you say?"

"Well yeah," the young saiyan replied simply, "It would have to be a super-molecular encasement that's neutralised to repeal heat, otherwise it won't work."

He was met with silence.

"That's impossible boy," chortled the professor, "Neutralising molecules is one thing, but then trying to get them to form a shield around a craft of this size? I think someone's been reading too many sci-fi comics. Now Iris, what do you-?"

Gohan raised an eyebrow, before walking casually over to a the hologram screen hovering in the middle of a group of scientists. Intrigued, they watched him, and a few moments later the group of interns and professor joined them. Swiping his fingers across the screen, the teenager took around five minutes before stepping backwards, the formula he had created on screen attracting a large group of people.

"A-amazing! How did we not see this before?"

"It's genius I tell you!"

Voices whispered excitedly around him and, turning around to the awestruck professor, Gohan smirked, "So, milk and two sir?

 **xxxx**

"Can you not go one day without pissing somebody off?"

"Evidently not," spouted Gohan, folding his arms across his chest.

Twenty minutes later and he was sat across from Bulma in her office, apparently someone hadn't taken lightly to the teenager embarrassing the entire scientific stronghold of engineers that afternoon.

Bulma sighed, having put Bulla down for her afternoon nap in the crib next to her desk.

"What am I going to do with you Gohan?" she asked, although she had an amused glint in her eye, "Not only did you make a complete mockery of the first year internship syllabus, you've actually been teaching them too."

The teenager shrugged, "Well they asked, and I was really bored Bulma."

"I know kid," she said slowly, "The professor-"

"The git," he spat, his anger suddenly rising, "Serves him right for trying to make me look like a complete prat in front of everybody."

Bulma grinned, "Well I'm sorry you feel that way Gohan, because he was the one that called up here, begging me to offer you an internship."

His mouth fell open, "W-what?"

"I suppose I have no choice do I?" she smiled, "I can't have the tea boy making my top scientists look like idiots."

"But Bulma," he started, "You said that I have to pass my exams!"

"That was the second thing I was meant to tell you," she continued, "I got you in to take your end of year exams at West City Academy in July. As soon as your results come back - you're in kid."

"WOOHOO!" Gohan yelled, jumping up and down in his seat. Yet his sudden outburst caused Bulla to wake.

"Whoops sorry," he said sheepishly, as the crying baby was picked up by her mother.

"That's okay, it was time for her to go to her daddy anyway," she winked, cooing at the little girl.

"Thanks Bulma," Gohan grinned widely.

She waved him off, "I should be thanking you, never would have thought of a neutralised shield to go around that craft!"

"That reminds me," he said thoughtfully, "Why not just replicate a ship like the one we went to Namek in? Surely a ship like that would be a lot faster."

Bulma grinned, "Oh Gohan, we've got to keep a little bit of fun for ourselves."

After bidding Bulma a hearty farewell, he practically skipped back through the floors to work. He couldn't believe it, things were finally coming up Gohan. Basking in his glory, the young saiyan didn't feel like going back to work so soon, instead, he sought out Iris and she was more than willing to help him celebrate in the store cupboard next to the kitchen.

Everything seemed to be finally going his way.


	16. Borbonne's Revenge

**_AN:_** _Hi everyone, I just wanted to say thank you for all the support you've all given me so far. This chapter was actually one of the very first chapters I wrote of this story, and is one of the most poignant moments of this story. I have worked very hard on this and really hope it shows. Hope you all enjoy it! Thank you for all the love so far! xxx_

 **Chapter Fifteen**

 **Borbonne's Revenge**

 **xxxx**

It was a cold, rainy night in March when Gohan suddenly snapped awake. The young saiyan looked about his room, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. He glanced at the clock on his beside table, the time flashing two-thirty in the morning. He felt strange, he couldn't remember having a bad dream, he wasn't sweating, thirsty or needed the toilet. No, he had simply just awoke, which was unusual for the teenager.

It was half-way through the working week, and he was exhausted. He had gone to work all day, trundled his way through the mountain of practice exams his mother had set out for him that night and had fallen asleep as soon as his head had hit the pillow.

His mother had been ecstatic of course, when he had informed her about his internship offer, and though Gohan was just as pleased, he wasn't enjoying to the amount of studying his mother was forcing him to do.

Still, his social life was going great when he wasn't studying. He had snuck in steaming drunk several nights now when he had been out with Iris and the other interns. His relationship with Iris was going great, he found that they really connected in an intellectual way, having many in depth conversations before their physical relationship got in the way of that.

The Gold Fighter was more popular than ever, and Gohan soon became accustomed to his face staring out at him from magazines in the Capsule Corp. break rooms and visitor waiting areas. Mostly, it was all just stirring nonsense the supposed love affair brewing between him and Videl, and although they seemed to be getting on better, he wouldn't go as far to say that he liked her in _that_ way.

Just this past week, petty crime in the East had taken a sudden leap, and Gohan found himself making more and more appearances as his alter ego, something that his fans were thrilled about. Though it meant that he was spending more time away from Iris, but she was too busy working on her spring project to see him every night.

Still, it wasn't the lack of female contact that had struck him awake either.

He sat up, getting out of bed and deciding to give his legs a stretch. He suddenly stopped short, and was surprised to find that his tail hair was stood on end, along with a tingly feeling present in the nape of his neck.

 **tap. tap.**

Gohan jumped at the sound at his window, yet his near heart attack was short lived, when he saw Icarus hovering outside. It was raining heavily, the rain drops bouncing off his purple scales relentlessly.

Without any hesitation, the young saiyan drew back the window, his arms getting slightly wet from the splatter.

"Hi stranger, what are you doing here in this weather?" he asked, as the dragon purred up at him.

Icarus inclined his head over towards the mountains, letting out a high pitched whine.

The teenager sighed, "No Icarus, I'm not going hunting with you, it's freezing!"

This seemed to frustrate the large creature, as he flapped his wings harshly, drenching Gohan with rain water.

"Ugh Icarus, what the hell?!" he spluttered, droplets spilling onto the carpet.

The dragon purred loudly, his large snout reaching inside the window and nudging his face.

"I said no boy!" Gohan said harshly, "Go and find some shelter for Kami's sake, you can't come in here!"

Icarus growled, his big green eyes boring into Gohan's, before he spun around and flew off into the sky towards the mountain range.

"Mental dragon," the young saiyan muttered, closing the window with a snap. Shivering, he grabbed a towel and changed into some clean pyjama trousers. He slipped back into bed with a sigh, but for the life of him, couldn't get back to sleep.

The next day, the teenager couldn't concentrate at work, but he wasn't entirely convinced that it was due to the lack of sleep. The odd feeling he had stayed with him for the rest of the week, but it wasn't until the following Sunday that he jolted awake in the same manner again.

Just like the previous week, Icarus was at his window, squawking loudly as soon as he opened it. The dragon was frantic, his large eyes wild and his wings beating hard against the air.

"Shhh Icarus! What's wrong?" The halfling ushered, reaching forwards to pat his snout. Yet the dragon pulled away from him, letting out another desperate growl and flying away from the window.

"Icarus?" Gohan asked, getting slightly worried, Icarus was acting very agitated. It wasn't like him.

The creature squawked again, flying back to him and gently pulling him by the arm with his teeth.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming!" the teen said finally, grabbing his arm back and searching around for his jeans, "just let me put some clothes on!"

A few seconds was all the halfling had before Icarus began growling at him again, and in no time they both shot into the sky, soaring over the mountain tops that were still covered in snow. It was still rather chilly for spring, but it was still late at night. Gohan hugged his arms to him as he followed Icarus in an attempt to keep himself warm. He looked up as they flew over a familiar valley, and was surprised when he saw that they were headed to Chazke Village.

But Gohan didn't have to ponder why the dragon had brought him here, as before they were over the other side of Mount Paozu, did he spot a billowing torrent of smoke coming from the edge of the forest. His heart sunk, as they drew closer, Lao's Green Grocer's engulfed in flames.

He landed before Icarus did, hitting the ground running as villager's surrounded the small home that was barely visible beneath the red and amber light, a fire crew and a small ambulance having already arrived. Gohan pelted towards them, praying that Lime and her grandfather had gotten out alright.

"Hold on lad, we've asked villagers to stand back," a paramedic said gruffly, before he could reach the ambulance.

Gohan opened his mouth to protest, when a voice drifted from the vehicle, "It's alright, let him through, he's family."

The young saiyan's eyes lit up as he pushed past the paramedic, hopping into the ambulance to find Mister Lao sat on the bed, another medic tending to several burns on his neck and face, his arms cradling a bundle of blankets.

The teenager blinked, catching sight of a small baby wrapped within the fabric, a shock of ebony hair poking out from his head.

The young saiyan looked about him, there was only one ambulance, and he didn't see any sign of his best friend anywhere.

"Mister Lao, w-what-?" Gohan started, but the old man cut across him.

"It was Borbonne," he said sadly, tears filling his blue eyes, he looked utterly defeated, "H-he wanted revenge for what Edward… f-for what happened. I tried to-"

Gohan stared, he had never seen the man look so desperate.

"Oh Lime…" he whimpered.

"Sir, where is Lime?" he asked sternly, his heart pounding faster.

Mister Lao looked up from the bundle of blankets in his arms, broken. "I'm sorry Gohan."

Gohan's blood ran cold.

Without warning, the young saiyan launched himself out of the ambulance and careened towards the smouldering building, black smoke billowing out of his wake. He barely registered the frenzied cries of the crowd as he kicked the shop door clean apart, the timber disintegrating as he sprinted into the burning building.

It was already suffocating, thick, black smoke was everywhere, filling his nostrils and causing tears to stream down his cheeks.

"Lime!" He coughed, his voice straining, "LIME!"

He swore under his breath, he couldn't hear anything over the roar of the fire. Shop goods had imploded and lay melted and incinerated on the floor, he couldn't even see the counter.

"LIME! LIME IT'S GOHAN!" He tried again, "LIME! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

He was starting to see spots, the heat was impregnable. He didn't want to blast anything apart incase Lime was lying passed out somewhere. He couldn't sense her Ki, and he hoped that was the reason why.

"LIME!" He roared, but it was futile.

Suddenly, his ears perked up, but what he thought might have been the sound of his friend soon became a loud hissing.

"FUCK!" Gohan cried, before an explosion threw him from the building. The gas pipe had blown, and had sent the majority of the roof caving inwards. The young saiyan landed hard on his back, paramedics surrounding him as soon as he hit the ground.

To their utter astonishment, the teenager sat up, clambering hurriedly to his feet as he watched the shop sign creak and splinter under the heat, causing the firemen to retreat backwards as it fell to the ground in a shattered heap. Several onlookers screamed. The smouldering embers caused something to stir in Gohan, and the young saiyan had never been so furious in his life.

"Kid, you must lie down, you're hurt," a paramedic offered, but Gohan ignored her.

"Mister Lao," he stated, hot tears burning in his eyes as he approached the distraught man, "get on Icarus and tell him to take you to the hospital. It'll be faster."

The old man nodded, "Gohan, I-"

But the teen turned on his heel, sprinting into the forest before anyone could stop him. After he had ran far enough, the teenager allowed himself to fall to his knees, letting out an almighty scream. The ground around him shook, as he gulped at the air in shuddering breaths, attempting to breathe. His chest was so tight, his heart felt as though it was about to burst out of his chest.

Lime was dead.

His best friend was dead and he was too late. Once again, Gohan had failed someone. Why? Why did he have all this power and potential that Piccolo and Vegeta always harped on about and yet when it came to it, it was no use. The Gold Fighter barely used any of his true power, Hercule was right, it was all fancy flying and light tricks.

His hair spiked as a golden aura engulfed his frame, his hair changing from black to gold, black to gold. His eyes turned the darkest of green, as his hair finally settled on gold. His tail flickered around behind him as his power broke forth, bolts of silver electricity licked and pulsed at his body. With a final scream that echoed over the forest, Gohan completed his ascended super saiyan transformation, his golden aura lighting up the trees around him.

But he refused to let his tears fall, his green eyes hardening as he steadily controlled his breathing.

Knowing what he had to do, he pressed the button on his wrist watch, and his clothes were quickly replaced with his black and navy bodice and cape. He wasted no time in shooting up towards the night sky, blasting in the direction of East City, creating a sonic boom over the clouds.

"Videl," he spoke through his mouthpiece as soon as she answered, "Wake up, tell me everything you've got on Borbonne."

" _Waa_?" came her groggy tone, " _What time is it?"_

"Damn it Videl, tell me where Borbonne is!" He growled in frustration.

" _What the in the bloody hells?! It's one in the morning!"_

 _"_ I'm not pissing about!" he yelled in annoyance, soaring over the clouds,

" _Good grief you couldn't just wait until tomorrow could you?"_ she snapped back, _"All I've found is that two of his accomplices spend a lot of time at this strip club in East City, it's called The Boobie Trap, on the upper west side."_

The teenager rolled his eyes, "and their names?"

 _"Er, Burdwell and Kasdan or something like that. Why? You're not going after them are you?"_

He said nothing, powering his aura further around him and hurtling towards the stripper bar.

 _"Gold Fighter?! Oi! DON'T YOU IGNORE ME, IF YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO CATCH BORBONNE WITHOUT ME THEN YOU ARE SERIOUSLY-"_

Gohan cut off the transmission as he descended, his black boots tapping on the pavement directly in front of the strip club. Only a couple of men stood out front, swaying drunkenly on the spot as they smoked. The bar was situated down one of the back streets of East City, where he and Lime had attended a couple of gigs in the past. The neon sign flashed blue and pink above the dingy double doors, the 'oo's of boobies shaped distastefully like nipples.

Two burly bouncers stood either side of the doors, both suited with sunglasses over their eyes even though it was night time.

The teenager glared at them from beneath his visor, he wasn't sure whether they were in cahoots with Borbonne or not, but it wouldn't hurt to interrogate them.

"Well blow me sideways Mick! It's The Gold Fighter!" one of them exclaimed after seeing him land.

Mick laughed, "Bloody hell Paddy me lad, of all the sights we've seen-!"

"Tell me, is someone named Burdwell and Kasdan here?" the golden haired teen asked forcibly.

The bouncers exchanged a glance.

"Yeh, they arrived a few minutes ago didn't they Mick?" Paddy confirmed.

"Looked like they'd been rollin' around in a pile o' shite judgin' by the state of 'em!" chortled Mick.

With that, the young super saiyan pushed past them into the dark hallway, but not without hearing them shout after him.

"Oi! Next time you might wanna ask for someone named Paris and Crystal! They'd show yeh a better time!" Mick called.

Paddy laughed after him, "Yeh but they might be a too much for yeh to handle if yeh know what I mean young lad!"

Leaving the men to continue their hysterics, the young super saiyan pushed open the double doors at the end of the corridor so hard that they bounced off the walls.

He was surprised to find that the place was fit to bursting. Men of various demographics sat in plush red velvet chairs, some were sat behind glass screens where Gohan could see them getting a lap dance all too clearly.

The music blasted obnoxiously from the speakers, as young women wearing next to nothing danced seductively to the beat on stage. There were strippers twisting around long silver poles in every corner of the room, whilst topless waitresses carried drinks on trays to several rounded tables.

A long bar made of glass and silver stood to the side of him, where a few patrons sat nursing their drinks and stealing glances at the big breasted barmaid. Several people turned to look at him, as he had successfully knocked one of the doors off its hinges, though most of the crowd were too interested in what was happening on stage.

"Hi there, aren't you The Gold Fighter? I wondered who had caused all that commotion!" a blue eyed waitress suddenly appeared in front of him, "I'm such a big fan. Me and the girls," she added, pointing to the strippers who were dancing.

"Oh here!" she said with a wide grin, pushing a clear shot of something into his palm, "It's on the house!"

He didn't have time for this shit.

He took the shot from the girl and crushed it in his palm, liquid poured to the floor as the glass disintegrated. The waitress' eyes widened in shock, as Gohan's aura lit up around him, sparks surging all over his body.

"I'm looking for two men named Burdwell and Kasdan."

She gulped, her tray wobbling as he pointed a shaky finger towards the bar.

Immediately the scent of ash caught his nostrils as he turned, leaving the waitress to scamper off in fright. He immediately recognised the gangsters, who were sat drinking at the end of the bar. They were the ones who had wrecked Mr Lao's shop the day that Borbonne opened the Cell shelter almost five years ago. Both of them looked particularly pleased with themselves, laughing and joking with each other, having not bothered to change out of their ash ridden clothes.

He let out a low growl, a bolt of electricity shooting down his arm and causing a loud snap to sound over the music. It seemed it had got a few people's attention, including Burdwell and Kasdan's.

The snide look on their faces quickly turned into that of utter terror at the sight of him.

"Shit."

But not one of them could muster another word, as Gohan drew back his fist and knocked the biggest man through the bar. Glass shattered and the silver metal twisted inwards as he collapsed in the centre of it. Several of the girls screamed, including the horrified barmaid as she fled the length of the bar and out of sight.

"Consider that a warning shot," Gohan spat, as the man quivered beneath him, a large cut sending blood spurting from his head. The teenager quickly turned on the other, who was shaking with fear.

"Now I'm going to give you one chance you worthless piece of shit," he said, his words dripping with venom, "Tell me where Borbonne is."

The man squeaked, his chubby arms wrapped around his middle in an attempt to protect himself.

"Look," said the young saiyan, "You know who I am and what I'm capable of. I know who you are, and what you did. Be thankful that I don't kill you where you stand."

"B-but I-I-" he tried, giving up quickly as the teen did not budge, "Alright, I'll tell yeh. He's upstairs, in his office, sortin' out the lease to this place."

Gohan smiled sadistically, before backhanding the gangster across the bar and into the adjacent wall. The plaster cracked as the man hit it and he slid down to the floor in a pathetic unconscious heap.

"Thank you for your co-operation," The Gold Fighter said simply, before wasting no time in powering up and blasting through the ceiling to where he could feel a small Ki hovering above.

He ignored the screams as the floorboards rained down on the occupants of the bar, instead, he focussed on the wanted criminal that had fallen to his knees before him. The noise had startled Borbonne, and it was clear that the man was just a big of a coward as he was when Gohan had first met him.

"N-No it can't be you!" Borbonne cried, as the super saiyan's aura created flame-like shadows throughout the room.

It was an odd sort of room, with carpeted walls and a black painted wooden desk. Upon the desk lay piles of Zeni and pieces of important looking documents. A broken teacup lay on the floor, where Borbonne must have dropped it when he heard the commotion downstairs. The man himself had barely aged, his receding hairline was still present along with his dark pencil moustache. He was dressed in a pristine dark blue suit with a blood red tie, a gold signet ring adorning his pinky finger.

"You're actually surprised?" he growled, balling his hands up into fists, "You think that you can just get away with sending a family to their death less than a few hours ago?"

"What do you care?" Borbonne spat, "You're just some kid! My business with the Lao's ain't got nothin' to do with you!"

Gohan couldn't help but chuckle darkly, grabbing the man by the collar and lifting him into the air above him.

"Actually, your entire business has something to do with me-" the teenager paused to deliver a sharp punch to Borbonne's gut, blood dripping from his mouth almost immediately. "I am the kind of person that stops - **BAM** \- murderers - **BAM** \- and thieves - **BAM** \- like you!"

With every hit that connected, Borbonne cried out in pain, scarlet blood staining his suit. Gohan smirked, tossing the brute high so that he landed on top of the desk. It splintered, shattering under his weight and sending hundreds of notes of Zeni flying into the air.

The young saiyan took a step forward, still shaking with rage, "And as for the Lao's, you were stupid enough to make that one personal."

Borbonne frowned, staring at the teenager as he pressed the button on the side of his earpiece and allowed his visor to fall back, revealing his sharp green eyes. "Eh? W-wait! You're that little brat!"

"Seems you're not as thick as you look," the teen spat, shutting his visor and taking another step towards him and causing the man to whimper. "I let you go once, and you haven't changed have you? You're just like the rest. Broken fucking promises. Well guess what Borbonne, you're not going to get a second chance, you _murdered_ my best friend, and for what?! What do you gain?!"

Borbonne was shaking, "L-look kid-"

"No! Fuck you!" Gohan snarled, digging his fingers into Borbonne's shoulder and throwing him across the room. He hit the opposite wall with a loud thud, a long crack running towards the ceiling.

Borbonne gasped, winded, but the teenager didn't let up, he pushed him harder up against the wall, lowering his voice to a threatening whisper, "You'll tell me why you did it, and whilst your at it, you can tell me why you killed Stanley Coyne along with what else you're hiding."

"I didn't murder that fatso Coyne!" Borbonne shrieked.

"Bullshit!" The young saiyan roared, his knee connecting with the man's ribs. He felt them snap on impact, causing Borbonne to sink to the floor, "You left that note didn't you? You used Ki to kill him. Who did you get to do it Borbonne? Was it Tao? Just who else are you planning to murder?"

"N-No!" He gasped, tears intermingling with the blood on his cheeks,"I d-don't know w-what the bleedin' hell you're t-talking about!"

"Wrong answer!" Gohan yelled, stomping on the brute's face. Borbonne screamed as his nose shattered, his breathing now coming out in ragged breaths.

"I-it's true!" Borbonne cried nasally, "I j-just wanted to be the richest man in the w-world is all! I-I w-wanted to get my hands on Coyne's w-weapons, I-I did! I w-wanted to s-sell 'em on! But someone killed the b-bugger b-before I had the chance! P-please, d-don't kill me!"

"I think it's a bit too late for you to start making demands now," The young saiyan spat, picking the man up once more by the throat, his gloved hand squeezing slowly, getting tighter with every second. Siren's echoed in the distance, but all Gohan was focused on was making this sorry excuse for a man pay. He needed to pay for all crimes he'd committed, he needed to pay for what he did to Lime.

Borbonne started to turn blue, as Gohan's grip was unrelenting, the man struggled at first, his hands scratching at the teenager's wrists. But soon, they became limp, his lips dry and pale as his breathing slowed, coming out as nothing more than shuddered croaks.

Borbonne's wide eyes we're beginning to pop and Gohan could feel his life energy beginning to waver, savouring every moment.

"GOLD FIGHTER! STOP!"

The teen jumped, letting the man drop heavily to the floor, coughing and spluttering as he attempted to fill his lungs with much needed oxygen. Gohan's eyes clapped on Videl, who was standing in the doorway, shocked, with around a dozen armed police officers behind her.

Blue lights flashed through the window from outside, illuminating Videl's terror stricken face. She looked from The Gold Fighter to Borbonne, her mouth agape as the colour began slowly returning to Borbonne's face.

The young saiyan quickly looked down at the choking gangster, horrified as Borbonne's blood slid down his gloves and ran the length of his arms. He didn't wait for the police to arrest Borbonne, instead, the he blasted from the window as quick as he could, Videl's voice calling after him as he went. 

He made it as far as the countryside when he dropped out of his transformation, he stopped in his flight, drifting lightly into a grassy field in the middle of nowhere. There, the teenager sank to his knees, finally letting his tears fall down his fevered cheeks.

Gohan choked back a sob, he couldn't believe he had lost control like that. He had transformed, recklessly into a super saiyan two, and he had almost - he had almost -

Cracks appeared in the grassy ground as he pounded his fists in frustration. A cool breeze drifted from the mountains, lifting up his cloak so that it billowed around him in elegant waves. The stars sparkled high above, mocking him, the night clear and bright.

He would never see Lime again.

More tears fell and landed on his blood stained costume. He was so weak. Now that was two people he had lost due to his stupidity. The young saiyan rested his head in is arms. Some superhero he was, he was disgusted in himself, he couldn't bare it.

"There you are boy," came a sudden voice from above him.

Gohan looked up, his reddened eyes widening in surprise as he was met with a super saiyan Vegeta.

He hadn't even sensed his approach.

"Don't give me that stupid look," Vegeta said gruffly, "You should have known that we would have sensed your transformation."

The teenager said nothing, causing the older male to sigh.

"Come, let's get you cleaned up."

Gohan allowed the saiyan prince to lead him away. He flew slowly beside him, and was thankful when he didn't ask any questions. He didn't realise where they were headed until he noticed the ancient stone of Korin's tower.

As soon as they landed on top of The Lookout, Dende hurtled out of the temple towards him, Piccolo not far behind.

"Gohan!" The smaller Namekian cried, noticing the blood on him, "Oh my goodness! Are you hurt?!"

"It's not mine," he answered quietly,

"Oh," was all his friend could muster.

"What happened kid?" Piccolo asked, placing a hand on his shoulder, "We all felt your power spike, Vegeta was convinced you had been training in secret until Dende realised something wasn't right."

"I-I don't want to talk about it," he said numbly, tears brimming at the corners of his eyes.

"The others are at Bulma's," Piccolo continued gently, "I told them to stay there after they pulled your friend from the wreckage. Vegeta and I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Lime?" the teen gaped, his mind automatically ignoring all the other information.

"The girl is alive if that's what you're asking," said Vegeta, "We supposed she was the reason you transformed in such a rage."

"S-she's alive?!" Gohan gasped, hope swelling in his chest, "W-where -?"

"She's here," Dende said quietly, "But there's something you must know- wait, Gohan!"

But he didn't listen, instead, he ran into the temple, locking onto Lime's Ki that was considerably weakened - but alive. He burst through the door to see Mister Popo tending to the girl, placing a cool flannel over her forehead.

"Oh my, Gohan," Mister Popo gasped at his sudden appearance.

The teenager hurtled towards the four poster bed she was nestled in, almost tripping on his tail as he skidded beside her.

Her eyes were closed, but she breathed steadily. Her long red hair, caked in soot was fanned out over the pillows, her chest rising and falling gently as she slept. She was free of any burns, though she had smudges of ash over her face and neck, the rest of her body was covered by a crisp white sheet. He dropped to the bed, disregarding his bloodied clothes as he scooped her up in his arms, cradling her to his chest and allowing tears of relief to fall.

"Lime?" he croaked, when the girl did not stir, "Lime, wake up, it's Gohan."

"Gohan," Dende's voice penetrated his thoughts. He looked over, not even realising that they had even entered the room. "Gohan there's something you must know, I healed Lime as much as I could, but I'm afraid there's a problem."

Gohan stared, still holding the girl close. Her body was limp, her eyes still tightly shut even though Dende had healed her, "W-what sort of problem?"

The Guardian looked torn, his eyes filled with sadness, "I'm afraid she suffered a brain injury during the fire, the nerves have been damaged in some parts. She will wake up in a couple of days, but when she does, I-I don't think it will be possible for her to regain her memory, the probability of her talking again is very slim."

"W-well can't you do something?!" the teenager choked, his heart lurching uncomfortably as panic set in, "Can't we use the dragonballs?"

Dende slowly shook his head.

"Why not?!" the young saiyan bellowed, anger swelling in his chest, "Have you even tried?!

The young Namekian stood stoic, tears welling in his eyes.

Quickly but gently, Gohan lowered Lime back onto the bed, "Fine then, I'll go get the dragon radar from Bulma's and then - "

"I'm afraid that the dragon is only as powerful as its creator," Dende interrupted, stopping the teenager in his tracks, "If I can't heal Lime, then Shenron can't. I am so sorry Gohan."

The young saiyan squeezed his eyes tightly shut, taking in a deep shuddering breath. How had she managed to become so hurt? Was he just steps away from her when the explosion happened to cause her injury? The thought caused his stomach to churn.

"There's something else," Dende spoke hesitantly.

"What?" he snapped, sitting down on the bed and burying his head in his hands.

The young Namekian drew in a sharp intake of breath, "You see, when I was healing Lime, I found that most of her injuries were caused by the fire, however, I noticed that some of them were consistent with that of someone that had recently given birth."

Gohan looked up suddenly, "W-what?"

Dende bowed his head, "Yes, a little more than a week ago it seems."

Silence encompassed the room, the young saiyan's eyes widening to the size of saucers. It seemed that Piccolo and Vegeta had not been informed of this either, as they both looked at Dende with aghast expressions, completely bowled over by the revelation.

Gohan's head was swimming, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Lime, she couldn't have been, could she? If she was, was the child even his? Just how long had it been since the last time he had seen her? Eight, maybe nine months? It would make sense, and yet, he couldn't even comprehend the fact that she could have been pregnant.

Finally, Piccolo was the first to speak, his penetrative stare burning into him, "Please, tell me it's not possible, it couldn't be…"

The expression on the teenager's face said all the Namekian needed to know.

"Oh kid."

"Well, where's the runt now? Baldy said there was no one else at the house," said Vegeta, having long powered out of super saiyan now he knew Gohan wasn't going to go off the rails.

"T-there was a baby," The halfling said finally, his throat incredibly dry, "I-I told Icarus to take them to the hospital in the village."

"Gohan," Dende spoke tentatively, as if reading his mind, "There was no way you could have known."

The teenager said nothing, his mind was whirring, he couldn't even bring himself to look at the sleeping girl beside him.

"Come now boys," Mister Popo said kindly, "Let's let this young lady rest for the night. Gohan, I'll run a bath for you - I'm sure Piccolo wouldn't mind materialising some new clothes for you. You can stay here for the night if you like."

 **xxxx**

It was ridiculous to think that he would be able to sleep, not when there was a possible part of him lying in a hospital somewhere on the Earth below. Piccolo and Vegeta had left him alone for the rest of the night, although he could still feel their Ki's inside the temple.

The events of the past few hours swam around in his mind, he didn't want to think of what the future would hold. If Lime didn't make any ounce of recovery, what would she be like? Would Mister Lao be alright? The old man didn't even know she was alive. How would his mother react to him fathering a child at such a young age? Would she kick him out? Was the baby even his?! What would he do about his internship? Could he even raise a child?

Gohan groaned, the bed creaking as he stood, he gathered the clothes Piccolo had given him and pulled them on roughly. The teenager shoved on his boots before walking out of the temple and staring out at the sky. Dawn was just coming over the horizon, illuminating the tiles in a soft golden glow.

He sighed heavily, taking out a cigarette and lighting it with a spark of Ki. His onyx eyes watched the wisps of smoke trail over the air before disappearing altogether. His hands were still shaking, so much so that he nearly dropped the cigarette out of his fingers.

Finally, he gave up, throwing the end off the edge of The Lookout. He could feel Lime's Ki steadily pulsating from her chamber, although it was still awfully low. He wished there was something he could do. There was no telling how damaged her mind would be.

He had heard Piccolo and Vegeta talking in the hallway outside his room as he pretended to be asleep earlier. Apparently, when Gohan's power had alerted the Z-Fighter's, they sped towards the village, finding the smoking wreckage of the Lao's home. Vegeta and gone after the young saiyan, whilst Piccolo took Lime up to The Lookout so that Dende could heal her, recognising her as Gohan's friend. They still were unsure about what had happened in the city, but agreed they would interrogate the teenager in the morning.

But Gohan didn't feel like talking to anyone.

His mind was whirring, all he could think about was how frail Lime looked in that bed, and how heartbroken her grandfather looked. Would Mister Lao have preferred his granddaughter to be dead, rather than not being able to recognise him? Gohan wasn't sure what was worse. And then there was the baby, the baby that might be his…

The young saiyan gritted his teeth as he debated his decision, and then with a shuddering breath, stretched out his senses in the direction of Chazke Village. What he found caused his eyes to widen in shock.

That Ki.

It was warm and familiar, and he couldn't understand just how he hadn't sensed it before. It stood out massively against the backdrop of the Earth, but not in the terms of being extremely powerful. No, it was because it was so connected to him.

Without a word to anyone, Gohan blasted from The Lookout and headed for Chazke Village Hospital.

 **xxxx**

Nurse Melda gazed curiously at the little monitor on the intercom, wondering just who on earth would be contacting the ward at this hour on the night shift. It was around five am, and Melda was just finishing a set of notes of a baby that had been discharged earlier that day.

As the senior nurse on shift, Melda had instructed some of the staff to take their break whilst the others carried out observations in their respective bays. There were only a few families scheduled to be on the ward, some women had come to feed their poorly babies from the postnatal ward, and she had allowed one family to visit their particularly sick child overnight.

Sighing, Melda took off her silver rimmed glasses, placing them on the side of the desk next to her pen. Reaching over to the receiver, she placed it by her ear to take the call.

"Hello? May I help you?" she spoke with an air of professionalism, twirling a bony finger around the wire.

There was silence at the other end, causing the her to frown.

"Hello?" she repeated more forcibly that time. She hoped her age wasn't getting to her just yet.

A crackle of breath, then, "Er, Hi. My name is Son Gohan, there was a baby brought in a few hours ago?"

The voice was youthful, adolescent in nature as it cracked slightly through the speaker. Melda frowned, skimming through pages of arrivals that had come in recently. Tapping her finger upon the book, she read a series of scribbled notes attached to the name before nodding to herself in confirmation.

"Just a moment," Melda called, placing down the receiver and making her way down the long corridor to let him in.

Her shoes tapped lightly on the well-polished floors, her shadow reflecting upon the cream walls in the soft dim glow of the ward. In her thirty-five years as a nurse, Melda had grown to love working on the neonatal unit. It was almost peaceful, a complete contrast to the usual hustle and bustle of the rest of the hospital.

Her senior role allowed her to maintain that peace, although she could come off stern, she always knew what was best for the unit, and she was well-respected for it. Her experience was invaluable to other members of staff seeking help or support, and there wasn't a lot she hadn't seen in her time.

Yet that had all changed when she had come onto her shift mere hours ago. A small baby, no more than a week old had been rushed into neonatal intensive care, having been the victim of a tragic arson attack in which his young, teenage mother had perished. Their guardian, the girls grandfather, had miraculously survived and was currently being treated on the burns unit in the east wing.

As the most senior nurse on shift, Melda had been called to assist the paediatricians as they attempted to resuscitate the baby that had rapidly deteriorated during transit.

When she had reached intensive care, the baby boy was completely unconscious, floppy and unresponsive on the rhesus machine. Doctors and nurses surrounded the boy, working quickly as Melda flipped through his birth records on the table.

A number of things could have affected the boy; carbon monoxide poisoning, head trauma, internal bleeding, broken limbs, or perhaps a birth defect that they didn't know about.

As it turned out, the baby boy _did_ have a birth defect, Melda recognised it almost immediately as her sharp blue eyes flickered over to the rhesus. She gaped slightly, as she gazed upon the furry brown appendage sticking out beneath his nappy. On quick inspection of his notes, his mother had informed the midwives that it was a genetic trait from his father's side, and she wished it not to be tampered with.

The rhythmic beat of the heart monitor had pulled Melda out of her shock. The room breathed a sigh of relief, when the baby started to breathe on his own. Remarkably, the boy made a speedy recovery and was able to be transferred to the unit within the hour.

Doctors were stunned, they had barely expected the newborn to survive that long, yet Melda was able to take the baby under her care, albeit with prescribed oxygen therapy and feeding tubes.

Her shock wouldn't wear off anytime soon, as on her way to the ward, she had overheard a number of nurses claiming the boy and his great-grandfather had been dropped off by a large purple dragon at the front doors of the hospital.

Melda had seen for herself babies that had made speedy recoveries after life threatening situations, but never had she thought it possible for her nurses to be that perplexed that they started believing such far-fetched stories. A dragon? _Honestly_.

Brushing down her crisp blue uniform and making sure her greying amber hair was fixed tightly in its bun, Melda pressed the buzzer to open the door. The oak door immediately unlocked, swinging open to reveal a nervous looking teenage boy.

Melda quirked an eyebrow, the boy didn't look any older than sixteen. Standing there with his hands shoved roughly in his pockets and shoulders slumped, he looked like a typical brooding teenager.

This _Son Gohan_ beheld all the qualities of a punk kid; scruffy ebony hair that reached his waist, jeans so tight that they barely fit over his backside, chunky biker boots that were scuffed to high heaven and a tight dark t-shirt stretched over his torso. His right ear was stretched with something that resembled a plug, his jeans ripped by the knees and a studded belt clipped around his waist. Tattoos covered the entirety of his left arm.

How on earth did his mother let him out the house?

It was evident that the boy did some form of working out and obviously made no attempt to hide from that fact. His muscles were large for his age, yet lean, and his tight clothes only extenuated them. It was another typical teenage lust story, from what Melda could see.

Gohan's face was full boyish charm, something she had seen young girls fawn over time and time again. The girl would fall head over heels, their young hearts being promised the world and end up getting pregnant in a swirl of teenage lust. Of course, the boy would miraculously disappear out of the picture soon after, leaving the girl with a newborn and a broken heart.

From Miss Lao's notes it was clear that Gohan was not present at the birth, confirming Melda's suspicions.

And yet, there was something odd about this young man that the old nurse couldn't quite put her finger on. His onyx eyes looked haunted, framed by bags of exhaustion and raw from tears. As much as her loyalties lay with the broken hearted girls, she couldn't help but feel for the boy, his ex-girlfriend had died tragically, and his son had nearly joined her.

Melda gave Gohan a small but reassuring smile, and beckoned him to follow her.

It seemed to put the young man at ease, as he let out a nervous breath he had been holding for quite some time. Maintaining her professionalism, Melda introduced herself and explained the brief layout of the ward. She informed him the condition of the baby boy and how he was progressing.

Gohan merely nodded in confirmation, yet Melda couldn't tell if his reserved nature was because of his nerves or down to pure rude ignorance.

"This is our high dependency bay," she informed quietly, stepping into the room at the end of the corridor.

The nurse looked to Gohan, who had visibly paled as soon as he had entered the room. Sighing knowingly, Melda thought it best to give the boy some time alone to process the information she had given him. She pointed the teenager in the direction of his newborn son and made the excuse of fetching his notes, leaving him to his own devices.

As the nurse left Gohan in her wake, the teenage boy couldn't find the will to make his legs move. The room was almost peaceful, the small sounds of beeping monitors reaching his ears in a somewhat soothing rhythm. There were eight incubators in total, a couple lay empty whilst the rest held tiny fragile creatures that were bathed in soft lamplight, wires and tubes weaved around them.

The young saiyan felt completely out of his depth, he hadn't thought that the baby - a boy - may be in anyway compromised.

Then again, according to the nurse, he was just over a week old.

 _One week._

That whole time another part of him had been in this world and he had no idea.

He bit his lip, his mind foggy. Why didn't Lime tell him she was pregnant? Had he really hurt her that much? Maybe she thought that she didn't need him, but he had most certainly needed her. A part of him was angry, was she even going to tell him at all?

Gohan shook his head, he could dwell on that later. His brain was still attempting to process what the nurse had told him about the baby boy. Intensive care, lung collapse, carbon monoxide poisoning, oxygen therapy. The jargon swirled around his mind in some sort of confusing jumble.

A quiet mutter broke him out of his thoughts, causing him to turn his gaze to a couple next to an incubator to his right. They were hunched over what he assumed to be their baby, that was tiny and premature.

The pair were giving him an odd look, the woman whispering in her partner's ear before they turned away. The teenager didn't have to have Piccolo's hearing to know he was being talked about.

The feeling slowly began to return to his limbs, finally finding himself able to turn away from the uncomfortable stares, walking toward the far left hand side of the bay as Melda instructed.

The young teen only made it a few steps before he stopped cold, his heart hammering in his chest, the reality of it all hitting him full force as his eyes fell upon the name card above the incubator.

 _Baby Lao-Son_

Of all the horror and evil he had faced in his fifteen years; being kidnapped by Garlic Junior and his henchmen, and again by his crazed uncle, surviving for six months in the wilderness, then another six months training for a gruesome battle no five year old should see, let alone play an active role in. He had seen his friends die and be brutally murdered in front of his eyes, he had lost his father on more than one occasion, and then for good. He had seen tyranny in all its dreadful form; Frieza, King Cold, Cooler. He fought alien monsters of legend and killed because it was either them or his friends.

The teenager had known fear, he had seen it reflected in Cell's eyes as he ascended past super saiyan, and then within Videl's when he had almost strangled Borbonne. He had felt that fear of failure, the fear he would have to take his father's place and equally make his mother just as proud. The young saiyan couldn't bare the fear no longer, so went his own way, struggled _not_ to feel, not to care, but now, but now….

Gohan had never been so scared in his entire life.

Taking a shuddering breath, he slowly made his way over to the incubator, forcing himself to look.

The young teen's eyes widened, he was so _tiny_. He had never seen a person so small. Of all the babies he had been around in his life, he never knew they could look so fragile.

Casting his onyx eyes over the baby's small frame, Gohan's breath hitched in his throat, and he quickly felt the overwhelming urge to jump out of the window and fly back to The Lookout.

Gazing through the glass pane once more, there was no denying that this baby was his son, he recognised the furry brown appendage all too well.

Regaining his composure, he gradually took in every aspect of the newborn, shuffling his legs over to a nearby chair to sit down in and get a closer look.

The baby's tiny head held a tuft of unruly ebony hair that was poking out of a woollen hat. Other than that and his nappy, the boy was completely bare, allowing for tubes and wiring to pierce his peach toned skin. What looked like a feeding tube travelled up his button nose, stuck to his chubby cheek by a strip of tape. Round sticky pads were secured to his chest, attached to a heart monitor that beeped and ticked next to the incubator.

The baby boy had a cannula inserted into his arm, allowing much needed fluids and antibiotics to drain into his system. An oxygen mask was strapped to his face, causing his tiny ribcage to rise and fall with an almost rapid motion. The last remains of his umbilical cord peaked out over his nappy. A soft warm glow of lamplight engulfed the child, warming the mattress and blankets that surrounded him.

He couldn't believe that he had actually made this little creature, him and Lime. He was _their_ son. Half him and half her, the thought was surreal.

"Would you like to say hello?"

He jumped, having not even realised that Nurse Melda was behind him. She held a bunch of notes in her arms, and was giving him a knowing smile. It was then he realised he had unconsciously placed his palm to the glass, right next to the baby's head.

There was a twinkle in Melda's blue eyes as she bustled over to the incubator, not bothering to wait for Gohan's answer. Slowly, she opened one of the circular windows, just enough for him to fit his hand through.

"Well, go ahead," she said firmly, standing back from the glass and watching his movements intently.

The young saiyan obeyed, placing a shaky hand inside the warm incubator, his fingers gently brushing against the boy's knee.

In an instant, he felt a spark of electricity travel through his fingertips, and it seemed the baby had felt it too, as his eyelids snapped open and he looked at the teen with striking green eyes.

Gohan gasped, awestruck by the emerald gems that shone out of the boy's delicate features.

Where he inherited those from was a mystery, but he was simply enchanted by the beauty of the child. He studied him closer, finding that those emerald eyes were framed by small freckles that sat on his cheeks, exactly like Lime's did.

The teenager took his time, caressing the boy's soft skin, drinking in every little feature, every joint, crease and fingernail. Gohan found himself falling more in awe of him as he discovered more about the little boy, like the cheeky dimples either side of his mouth, and the way his eyebrows knitted when he brushed the soft fur of his tail.

"Is there someone I can call for you, young man?" Melda's voice came from behind him.

She now wore a pair of spectacles and was busy writing in the baby's notes from a nearby desk.

Gohan looked at her, shaking his head as his fingers stroked the boy's tail, "No, not right now."

"You look like you haven't slept a wink dear." She sighed, as she received no answer from the teenager, "Why don't I get you a blanket and a warm drink and telephone a family member? That way you can have a little sleep before someone arrives."

The young saiyan bit his lip, sleep did seem amazing right now, his eyes were starting to become heavier with each passing second. Alas, he knew he would have to face the music eventually.

"Could you call Bulma? She's a family friend," he asked, he wanted to hold off being castrated by his mother for as long as possible.

The nurse nodded kindly, scribbling down Bulma's mobile number and leaving the bay. A few moments later she returned with a pillow and a thermal blanket, along with a steaming mug of cocoa for the teen.

He sipped the drink gladly, the liquid warming him as it went down. The couple across from him had long left, leaving him all alone with the babies in the bay, the only noise the beeping sounds coming from the monitors.

The teenager was craving another cigarette, but was too tired to make his way out to the front of the hospital. The sun had begun to creep through the blinds next to him, casting shadows upon the pristine floor.

The baby boy had fallen back to sleep, and Gohan couldn't blame him, he had gone through just as much as he in the last few hours.

Closing the incubator window shut the teenager sat back in his seat, wrapping the blanket around his torso before he steadily let sleep overcome him.


	17. Not Quite An Earthling

**Chapter Sixteen**

 **Not Quite An Earthling**

 **xxxx**

"Gohan, sweetheart. Wake up."

Gohan slowly creaked open his eyes, blinking the sleep away and allowing his vision to become clear. The beeping of the heart monitor reached his ears, along with the bustle of the hospital day staff echoing from down the corridor.

Realising where he was, the teenager bolted upright, his eyes immediately snapping to the incubator beside him.

A delicate hand pushed him back by his chest, allowing him to settle back into his chair, "Shh Gohan it's alright, he's fine."

The young saiyan looked towards the sound of the voice, his breath catching in his throat as he came face to face with his mother.

"M-mum?" He croaked, as Chi-Chi smiled softly.

She was sat in a plastic chair opposite him, dressed in her usual attire of a yellow dress and purple shawl. Her hair was pulled back into a neat bun, yet her eyes were framed by heavy bags. She hushed him, soothingly running her hand through the unruly spikes of his fringe.

The ox-princess breathed a heavy sigh, the bright hospital lightning illuminating her features. It was only then did he realise how exhausted she looked. She continued to stroke his hair, something he hadn't allowed her to do in a very long time.

"You were having a bad dream sweetheart," she finally spoke after a minute or two, studying him closely.

Gohan looked away, realising that his eyes were sore and puffy. He couldn't remember what the dream was about, all he felt was a sickly feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"What am I going to do with you, eh?" his mother smiled sadly.

The teenager said nothing, he wasn't sure what to say.

He looked down, picking at a piece of loose thread in his blanket. The cotton unravelled slowly, silence encompassing both mother and son. He was half expecting her to go on a complete rampage.

Looking over to the fragile boy in the incubator, Chi-Chi sighed, "He looks like you when you were born."

He blinked in surprise, "He does?"

She nodded, emotion shining in her eyes, "Bulma called about an hour ago. I hadn't realised you had gone."

"Vegeta explained everything," she continued, as Gohan opened his mouth to retort, "He told me on the way here."

The young saiyan quirked an eyebrow, "Vegeta brought you here?"

"Bulma called him and ordered him to bring me to you," she explained, her lips twitching into an amused smile, "He was rather angry, apparently, he didn't know you had snuck away from him either."

The teen gave her a sheepish smile, and sure enough he could feel Vegeta's Ki hovering outside in the hospital grounds.

The heart monitor beeped.

"What's going on with you Gohan?" Chi-Chi asked heavily, "I thought you had more sense."

He sighed, averting his eyes away from her, "I don't know, I don't know why she didn't tell me."

His mother tutted, "She may have been scared love, being pregnant is a life changing thing. Scary for somebody my age, let alone Lime's."

"It still doesn't excuse her not telling me!" He protested suddenly, feeling the anger bubbling in his stomach.

"No it doesn't," Chi-Chi said calmly, "and it doesn't excuse the both of you being so reckless behind my back now does it?"

The teenager clamped his mouth shut. It was true they hadn't been as careful as they could have been, hormones and passion had overridden his logical self.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. And he truly was.

"Oh darling," his mother croaked, stroking his hair once more, "Lime is such a sweet girl. I don't blame you for this mess. It's just terrible, the Lao's have lost so much in that fire. I'm so sorry Gohan."

"It's not your fault," said Gohan, his lips beginning to tremble as another wave of realisation hit him again, "I-I don't know what to do Mum, I-I'm sorry, didn't know Lime was -"

"Hush love," Chi-Chi soothed, as tears brimmed in his eyes.

"What's happened has happened, there's no point in dwelling on it," she sniffed boldly, wiping her own wetness from her cheeks and sitting upright, "Now, we're going to sort out all this mess and focus on getting this baby boy better, do you understand me young man?"

The teenager nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Well that settles it then," she smiled brightly, though a sadness still lingered in her eyes, "Now, we just have to wait for Bulma and get everything sorted."

"Where is Bulma?" Gohan asked, she should have been here by now, the clock on the wall read eight-thirty.

"That woman," Chi-Chi tutted, "She's gone shopping in the city, buying just about everything for this little one and some clothes for Mister Lao and Lime."

Suddenly, the doors to the bay swung open, revealing a flustered looking Bulma with dozen's of shopping bags in her palms. To Gohan's bewilderment, Krillin entered too, trotting behind her with various sized packages, including a large blue balloon that read; _It's a boy!_

"Don't you think the balloon's a bit much?" asked Gohan sceptically, as the pair skidded to a halt before them.

"All of this," Krillin panted, dumping down the shopping onto a nearby chair, "All of this and you're complaining about a balloon?"

"Oh Gohan!" Bulma cried, the bags falling to the floor as she threw her arms around the teenager. He made to awkwardly hug her back when she thwacked him across the head, "Just what the bloody hell do you think you were doing?!"

"Bulma-" his mother started, but it was no use.

"I nearly had a heart attack!" She yelled, hitting him again, "Look at me! Running around since six this morning buying _heaps_ clothes for the child of a supposed boy genius who isn't wise enough to wrap up the end of his -"

"Bulma calm down! This is a hospital for Kami's sake!" Krillin shushed, "Believe me, I'm just as shocked as you are, but this isn't helping Gohan right now."

The blue-haired woman's lip trembled, before she engulfed the halfling in a bone crushing hug, sobbing into his shoulder.

Luckily, his mother was able to soon prise her away from him.

"Thank you for getting all this Bulma," said Chi-Chi.

"It's on me," replied Bulma, blowing her nose before looking over to the incubator. Her eyes suddenly grew wide in excitement, she bounded over, pressing her face eagerly against the glass, "Oh look at him! He's gorgeous Gohan!"

"Woah, he's got a tail!" Krillin exclaimed, peering at the boy before turning to him, "Is there any news on your friend mate?"

Before he could answer, Nurse Melda came bustling towards them, a stack of papers in her hands.

"Ah, I wondered what all the commotion was in here," she chuckled, "How are you feeling after your little sleep Gohan?"

"Alright," he answered simply.

Melda nodded curtly, "Now that your mother is here, there was some things I wanted to discuss with you both."

"Like what?" Gohan quirked.

"Firstly," she smiled, "I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that your son is doing remarkably well. We thought he may have some carbon monoxide poisoning from the fire, but the results have come back clear."

"Oh that's wonderful news, isn't it Gohan?" said Chi-Chi, breathing a sigh of relief.

"So he'll be alright?" asked the teenager.

"The way he's improving I should say so. Though there is a risk that he may develop some respiratory problems in the future."

He glanced at his mother worriedly.

"He may develop a spot of asthma, but this can be well controlled," she continued, "We would like to keep an eye on him for a few weeks here, keep him on oxygen until we're sure he is completely stable, make sure he's putting weight on, that sort of thing."

"Of course," his mother replied, "Do whatever you need to do."

"Thank you Mrs. Son, but there are some matters to sort out before the baby is discharged from the hospital," said Melda.

Gohan frowned, as the nurse took a deep breath.

"According to the records, Gohan is named as the baby's father on the birth notification-"

"I am?" He blinked, as all eyes turned to him.

He was surprised, though he should have known from the name card above the incubator, maybe Lime really was going to tell him eventually.

"Yes," Melda confirmed, "But it gets a little complicated as you are a minor, as was the baby's mother."

The young saiyan thought not to correct her on the word _was_ , it would get too complicated if he informed her that Lime wasn't actually dead, but brain damaged. If he did, they would question where the girl had sought treatment, and they may think he was losing it if he told them she was being cared for by two green men and a genie in the sky.

"Because Mister Lao was Lime's sole guardian, the baby was able to go home with her without the need for further support." Melda continued, "But as Mister Lao is hospitalised, his recovery is crucial to ensure that the baby returns home with him."

Gohan's heart sank, as much as Mister Lao was strong, he was still an old man. An old man that had a business and a home to rebuild, and there was no doubt that he would want to care for his granddaughter. They didn't yet know the full extent of Lime's condition, but there was no way he could look after a newborn baby too.

"The hospital needs to make sure that the baby is well supported," said the nurse, "and seen as Gohan wasn't there for the birth-"

"I wasn't there because I didn't know!" the teenager interrupted hotly.

"Gohan!" His mother scolded.

"I found out that Lime was pregnant today," he said angrily, ignoring her, "Trust me, if I had known, nothing would have stopped me from being there when he was born."

"Oh sweetheart," Chi-Chi whispered sadly as a tense silence engulfed the room.

"Well Gohan I apologise," Nurse Melda said carefully, "I can't imagine how emotionally draining this day must have been for you."

The teenager couldn't help but snort.

"Nurse," his mother started, "All this can easily be sorted out I assure you. I will have a chat with Mister Lao and I am positive he will allow the baby to stay with us."

Gohan gaped at her, "You're serious?"

Chi-Chi frowned, "Of course Gohan, he is your responsibility after all. I didn't raise you to disregard your responsibilities now did I?"

"Um, no."

"Then it's settled!" she grinned, clapping her hands together happily.

"Well if your happy to take the baby in Mrs. Son then there should be no problem," said Melda, an amused twinkle in her eye, "I just need a few details from you including a contact address, I see you have a few things for the little one already."

As his mother began to answer the nurse's series of questions, the young saiyan started to sweat, the reality that he was officially a single father hitting him like a ton of bricks.

He was shortly broken out of his thoughts, by a sharp nudge in the ribs.

"What's up with your mum mate?" Krillin whispered, inclining his head towards her, "I legged it here with Bulma expecting to scrape your dead carcass off of the floor."

Gohan sighed, his eyes drifting to the small tailed boy that lay in the incubator, "I have a feeling it'll be a delayed response."

 **xxxx**

One should not take entering the bedroom of a teenage boy lightly.

No, experienced mothers would arm themselves with a can of air freshener and a dust cloth to cover their nose should they dare venture into the abyss to fetch the mountain of dirty washing.

They would be mindful, of course, of the CDs, books and miscellaneous items from Kami knows where that were strewn all over the floor. Careful, they would be, not to trip on the empty cola cans littered on the ground. Tut, they would at the mud, chocolate and cola stains on the carpet and promise themselves that they would work up the courage one day to do a thorough deep clean, as they knew that no matter how many times they nagged their teenager, it would never get done.

Gohan's room was no exception to the rule up until a week ago, when the baby boy was discharged from hospital. Now, a landslide of baby clothes, bottles, nappies, a changing mat and table and a crib accompanied the bombsight that was the teenager's bedroom.

Contrary to what the doctor's at the hospital had predicted, the young boy was allowed to be discharged no more than a fortnight after the incident. Bulma luckily allowed Gohan the time off work so that he was able to send the majority of his time at the hospital, the staff letting him come and go as he pleased.

The halfling was elated when the baby boy was finally allowed home, and he could make use of the heaps of presents and clothes that the Z-Fighter's had brought for him.

Of course, the news of Gohan's parenthood had travelled fast, and Bulma had to quickly inform them that no, it was not some elaborate prank conjured up by the halfling. The look on their faces when they came to visit the tailed baby was priceless, Gohan even took pictures.

The news of what had happened to Lime had saddened the group, especially when Gohan had told them about the circumstances of the tragedy. Tien, Yamcha, Chaiozu and Krillin had even offered to rebuild the Lao's home, something that both Mister Lao and Gohan were both honoured and humbled by. Mister Lao had recovered well, and was soon discharged to his newly built home with Lime.

Gohan had visited them a few days after the baby was discharged, but had not been able to work up the courage to go back since.

Lime was so different.

Her vacant expression didn't even acknowledge the baby boy, no matter how much the young saiyan tried to draw her attention to him. It was hard to accept that his best friend was basically a vegetable. She could sit up, stand and walk slightly, but he hadn't heard her speak at all, she didn't even seem to recognise him.

He was in the midst of planning another trip out to Chazke Village, but for now he stuck to daily updates of the baby with Mister Lao over the phone. Mister Lao was devastated at first, when he learned of his granddaughters condition, but soon took it in his stride with the hope that she would one day become well again.

The teenager had only told Piccolo what had happened with Borbonne, though he was certain that the rest of the Z-Fighter's could harbour a guess when they had learned about the situation in which Lime had been injured.

Still, Piccolo had not pressed the issue or pressured him to train, only to come and talk if he needed to, which Gohan was thankful for.

He could tell his mentor was worried, the young saiyan had not donned his alter ego since the incident. The Gold Fighter costume lay abandoned at the bottom of his wardrobe, and the teen had put crime fighting to the back of his mind. Along with the dozens of missed calls from Videl.

The media were starting to get suspicious, nearly every newspaper headline read; ' _Where is The Gold Fighter?' 'Missing: World's No.1 Superhero' 'Love Affair: Have Videl and The Gold Fighter split?'_

Gohan was somewhat grateful that he was able to look after the baby and not pay attention to it all, Bulma had given him a months worth of paternity leave and free access to the nursery should he need it when he went back to work.

He wasn't really sure what to tell the other interns and colleagues, but Iris had already broken it off with him when he had informed her of the news. Though the young saiyan was not too put out by the end of his short relationship, he was too busy relishing in the relief that he was still able to start his internship in September, his mother offering to babysit whenever he needed.

He was both surprised and delighted when Chi-Chi announced that his career was still important, she wouldn't have her grandson growing up with an uneducated, layabout father.

The baby boy was now four weeks old, and doing remarkably well considering the nurse told Gohan they didn't think he would make it through the night when he first arrived at the hospital.

Goten and Trunks adored the little saiyan, especially seen as it was another boy they could add to their mischievous duo. Yet still, the teen couldn't think of a name for the youngest saiyan, and according to Mister Lao, Lime had wanted to wait until she told him to think up a name.

He had been racking his brain for days, but it was getting increasingly difficult to concentrate due to the sleep deprivation.

He didn't understand, Goten was never this bad when he was a baby.

"So you still haven't got a name for him yet?" Dende asked one sunny April morning at The Lookout.

Gohan yawned loudly, cradling the fussing baby in his arms as he sat crossed legged on the marble tiles. He had decided to take the boy out for a slow flight to see if it would settle him, which worked for all of five minutes.

Fed up of dealing with the sound of screaming alone, he took a detour to visit his favourite Guardian.

"Nope," said Gohan, as a thrashing tail hit him in the nose, "Mum's been trying to to enforce Einstein on him, but I'm reconsidering turning it down the way he's been lately. Oh bloody hell, stay still will you!"

Dende grinned, "Surely you don't mean that."

The teenager narrowed his eyes, "You have no idea how close I am to snapping, I haven't slept in over a week."

The baby boy gurgled in his arms, his chubby arms flailing about him.

"Yes, and its all your fault," Gohan replied, shooting him a glare.

The child didn't seem to take kindly to the comment, and let out a wail of protest that echoed over The Lookout. The two teens winced, as the teen lifted him up to meet his face.

"What's up kiddo? You hungry?" he asked loudly over the screams, "Shall we see if Grandma's got a bottle ready for you?"

"WAAA! WAAA! WAAAAA!"

"Ugh," Gohan sighed in defeated, getting to his feet and hoisting onto his shoulder what the teen had dubbed his 'second child' - the duffle bag full of nappies and clothes that he had to constantly carry around with him, "I should go, he's only going to get worse if he isn't fed."

"Oh I don't mind Gohan," said Dende.

The young saiyan snorted, "You don't have to lie Dende, I feel like tearing my ears off too."

His friend chuckled, "Well I'll tell Piccolo you stopped by."

"Yeah, typical of him to be in 'deep meditation' when I bring the baby over," he said, looking to the distraught child who was growing increasingly redder in the face, his tail thrashing wildly, "We have to get you a name kid, maybe that will help you stop screaming."

"Don't worry Gohan," soothed the young Namekian, "It'll get easier."

"Do me a favour Dende and lay an egg," said Gohan, over the baby's desperate squawks, "Then you can tell me just how easy it gets."

And with that he blasted from The Lookout, leaving a blushing Guardian behind him.

Unfortunately for Gohan, the baby was too unsettled to fly much further, so the teen had no choice but to make a stop in West City.

"Bulma?!" He bellowed loudly, the screaming reaching a whole new level as soon as he stepped over the threshold of the Brief's front door, "Bulma! I need a bottle! BULMA!"

"Alright kiddo, there's no need to shout."

He seemed to have interrupted what had been a quiet family breakfast.

The Briefs were all sat around the long wooden table, an array of breakfast items including crumpets, cereals and orange juice littered around them, the television to the side of them blaring the news report over the sound of clinking cutlery.

Dr Briefs looked up from over his paper, his cigarette dangling from his lips, whilst Mrs Briefs stopped what she was stirring on the stove. Trunks' spoon dropped into his cereal bowl with a loud slop, and even Vegeta turned away from his mountain of bacon to stare at the messy haired teenager with an aghast expression.

"WAAA! WAAA! WAAA!"

Gohan was close to pulling his hair out, as he failed horribly at consoling the crying baby over his shoulder.

"Oh sweetheart!" Mrs Briefs cooed, taking the baby from his arms and pressing him to her bosom, "What ever is the fuss about eh? Let's see if I can find one of Bulla's bottles and whip you up some milk."

The screaming soon turned into small whimpers as Mrs Briefs switched on the kettle, grabbing one of Bulla's bottles from the draining board and fishing about in the cupboards for the formula.

Breathing a sigh of relief as the cries subsided, the teenager took a place next to Trunks, the smell of bacon wafting towards his nostrils. His stomach grumbling, the teenager wasted no time in helping himself to the pile of bacon sandwiches that sat in the centre of the table.

"Gohan?" Bulma asked tentatively.

"Yeah?" he asked though a mouthful.

"Sorry to be blunt but-" she started.

"You look like shit," Vegeta interrupted, causing Bulma to glare at him from where she was feeding Bulla in her highchair.

"Vegeta! Not in front of Trunks!" she growled.

"It's alright Mum," said Trunks boastfully, "I've heard it all before, I _am_ nearly six you know."

"Go to your room Trunks," said Bulma.

"But _Mum-_!"

"Now."

The purple haired prince pouted, before bidding Gohan a short goodbye and scurrying off upstairs. As soon as the teen heard the bedroom door slam, Bulma was upon him again.

"Now Gohan please tell us whats going on," she cooed, "I thought your mum was helping you out."

Gohan snorted, running a hand through his messy hair before grabbing another sandwich, "She does, sometimes, but she seems to think that I got myself into this mess then I should get myself out of it."

"The harpy has a point," said Vegeta.

"Be quiet Vegeta," Bulma scowled, before turning to the teenager, "Seriously kiddo, is everything alright?"

The teenager sighed, sinking into his chair as his bacon sandwich lay abandoned on his plate, "I think the baby hates me."

Bulma and Vegeta shared a quizzical look.

"What?" The blue haired heiress blinked, "Don't be silly Gohan, of course he doesn't hate you! He loves you!"

"He didn't love me at four o'clock this morning when he decided to piss all over my pyjamas."

"That's what babies do brat, they piss, shit and cry and you until they get big enough to talk back at you, thats when you know its time to start training them," Vegeta informed him with a slight smirk playing on his lips.

Gohan rolled his eyes, "Thanks for the pep talk V, but surprisingly that doesn't help me when he screams at me every time I go near him. I don't understand it, Goten was never this bad."

"It's different when its your own kid," Bulma smiled sympathetically, placing her hand on his, "It will get easier."

"That's what everybody tells me," he sighed, "I have no idea how Lime handled it, I haven't had a full nights sleep since he left the hospital. I don't know whats up with him."

"Well it seems to me like this little one was just hungry," said Mrs Briefs, waltzing back to the table with the baby who was currently guzzling down a bottle in her arms.

"He's always hungry," huffed Gohan.

"Well thats not surprising," chuckled Bulma, "He is part saiyan."

"And a part of me is going _insane_ ," he shot back, before exhaling a deep breath, placing his head in his hands. "Help."

"Oh Gohan you just need a good nights sleep is all," said Bulma, "I'd be happy to take him for the night but I've only just started to get Bulla to sleep through."

"No need to rub it in."

"I'm not rubbing it in kiddo, I'm just saying," she pressed, "Couldn't Mister Lao have him for a night to give you a rest?"

Gohan shook his head, "No, Lime still isn't good, I couldn't ask him to do that."

"I see," Bulma said sadly, "Well I think the only thing to do is-"

"Suck it up brat."

"Vegeta!"

"What?" The prince spat, "The boy needs to learn. For once his ridiculous mother is right, he got himself into this predicament. He needs to grow up and learn how to cope with the consequences of his actions."

Gohan blinked, he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"There's no need to be so harsh Vegeta!" Bulma growled, "Gohan is very sensitive right now, men can suffer from postnatal depression too you know!"

"I'm not sensitive _or_ depressed!" The teenager protested, "I'm just bloody shattered!"

"Of course he's not depressed woman," said the prince, "he's just struggling to adjust to becoming a father at his age, the quicker he stops wallowing and gets off his backside, the quicker his runt will stop screaming."

"You know, I really hate it when you lot talk about me as if I'm not here…" he drawled, though the hot headed couple didn't seem to hear him.

"Oh because you're father of the year!" Bulma seethed, "I didn't see you getting up for night feeds!"

Vegeta all but smirked, leaning back in his chair, "I believe you are the one with the breasts woman, feeding the brats is your job."

"Oh here we go, mister misogynistic-!"

"Um, I think I should go…" said the young saiyan, though the pair ignored him.

 _"… it's looking to be the most exciting event of the decade! Yes that's right! The World Martial Arts Tournament is making a come back!"_

"What?!" Bulma shrieked in excitement, flipping suddenly from her heated argument with her husband and rushing towards the television set.

The young saiyan stared curiously, as the image of a news reporter flashed upon the screen, a tropical beach in the background.

 _"That's right, the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament will be debuting right here on Papaya Island in approximately two years time. Renovations to the old tournament grounds are already taking place! For those that remember the events of the 23rd world tournament, the entire ring was destroyed in the final round, thus the 24th tournament in which Mister Satan claimed the title, was held in the Island's small events arena where only 500 diligent fans attended._

 _With generous sponsorship from Mister Satan himself, martial arts fans from all over the world will be able to gather in a state of the art area, housing up to 500,000 people! It's looking to be the fighting event of the century! Now over to you Frank in the studio with The Strongest Under The Heavens, Mister Satan!"_

The screen switched, to a smartly dressed studio, where the news anchor was sat across from a smirking Hercule Satan, who was smoking a cigar as he leaned back casually in his chair.

" _Thank you Tom, exciting stuff,"_ said Frank, before turning to Satan, " _Now, Mister Satan, what made you seek to revive the old tournament in all its glory after seven long years?"_

 _"Im just giving the fans what they want,"_ Satan replied cockily, _"There's been a lot of people questioning my abilities lately."_

 _"So your saying that you've brought back the tournament so you can prove your worth to your fans?"_

 _"But of course!"_ The large man scoffed _, "I want to show my fans that I'm still their hero. And it gives other young fighters the chance to give the Champ the old one two. Fun for the kids, great publicity for the art and gets back to what martial arts is all about, you'll see no fancy light tricks from this Champ!"_

 _"Marvellous,"_ Frank grinned, shifting through his notes, _"Now Mister Satan, I must ask you, aren't you worried about The Gold Fighter appearing in the tournament? There are some out there who believe that he may be actually stronger than you. He is the young boy who stood up to Cell after all."_

Unfortunately for Frank, Satan was in the middle of taking a gulp of water and subsequently spat his drink out all over him.

 _"What?!_ " Hercule spluttered, struggling to regain composure, _"That's preposterous! I AM THE CHAMPION! I ask you, what light tricks and frilly capes can do against brute strength?! HA!_

 _"Of course! You're absolutely right sir!" s_ aid Frank, wiping his face with a handkerchief.

" _And furthermore,"_ Satan growled, _"If the Gold Fighter is so great, then where is he now? I don't see him giving 2.4 billion Zeni away in order to provide an incredible spectacle for his fans! Hidden away from it all he has, he's just a kid, can't handle the pressure of being famous you see."_

 _"Ah well, I'm afraid that's all we've got time for!"_ Frank called, turning towards the camera, _"Wise words as always from the Champ. And for those of you who missed this announcement, The 25th World Martial Arts Tournament will be coming to Papaya Island on the 7th May 774! You heard it here first folks! Get your tickets early, they'll be sure to sell out soon!"_

"Tosser," Gohan spat as the news credits rolled across the screen.

"Oh don't be like that Gohan I think it's great!" said Bulma, her blue eyes sparkling.

The teenager raised an eyebrow, "You do?"

"The whole gang back together again at a real tournament! Just like old times!" she gushed, tickling Bulla's tummy, causing the baby girl to squeal in delight.

"I think it's a joke," Vegeta grunted, "The man has no sense of pride or honour."

"Oh come on, I think it sounds like fun! We can get everyone to compete!" Bulma exclaimed, "don't you want to show Mister Satan what it means to be a true warrior once and for all?"

Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"You're serious?" Gohan gaped, causing the prince to smirk.

"What's wrong brat? Surely you'd want to please your fans."

"I told you I don't do that anymore Vegeta," the young saiyan growled.

"So what? You had a slip, its natural. It is in your blood after all."

The teenager glared, "Why don't you get Piccolo to join in or something? You could train together and leave me the hell out of it."

"Tch, the Namek wishes he had me for a training partner."

"So your really going to compete Vegeta?!" Bulma squealed in excitement.

Vegeta scoffed, "If it will stop your screeching then _yes_ woman, I will compete. Besides, it is two years away, it will give the weaklings time to train to give me somewhat of a proper challenge."

"Woohoo!" Bulma shrieked loudly, causing the two saiyan's to wince, "I'll have to call Krillin and the others, this is so exciting!"

The teenager couldn't help but snort, he couldn't think of anything worse than competing in a tournament, especially as his alter ego.

"Gohan? Come on, you'll be the only one missing out," Bulma sang.

"If you haven't already noticed, I'm a bit preoccupied with a newborn right now," said the teen, "and also, I'd rather stick pins in my eyes."

"That can be arranged," said Vegeta.

"Well suit yourself," said Bulma, ignoring her husband, "But you've still got two years to decide."

"Of which I'm sure the baby would have killed me off by then, so no need to save me a place," he replied dully, causing her to laugh.

"Trust me kiddo, it'll get better," she soothed, "Now why don't you head home now he's settled? You can put him down for a nap and you can get a quick forty winks yourself."

"That sounds like a good idea," The young saiyan yawned, stretching out his arms and holding them out so that Mrs Briefs could place the sleeping child into them, "Thanks Mrs Briefs, I'll just-"

"WAAAAAAAA! WAAAAAAAAA!"

"Not again," Gohan groaned, as soon as the teen shifted the baby boy into a comfortable position for flight, did he begin to scream once more.

"Huh, I see what you mean," Bulma offered sympathetically, "Tough break kid."

"Yeah, thanks."

 **xxxx**

 **Bleep. Bleep.**

 **Bleep. Bleep.**

There went his watch again. He had to remind himself to take the batteries out of the damn thing, but it was difficult to remember such minor tasks when his time was occupied by taking care of a screaming baby. For now though, the baby boy was currently fast asleep, his chubby fists embedded into his t-shirt as he slept on Gohan's chest.

 **Bleep Bleep.**

The teenager sighed, tentatively getting up from his bed and picking up the watch that lay abandoned on his desk.

 **Bleep Bleep.**

It was Videl. For the four-hundredth time that week.

The young saiyan couldn't even bring himself to talk to her, let alone contemplate what on earth she must think of him. The news of Borbonne's capture had made it to the headlines a few weeks ago, though they had miraculously left out the part where The Gold Fighter had nearly strangled him to death. He couldn't help but think that maybe Videl was behind that one, her family had strong links with the press after all.

A part of him wished he could explain to Videl what had happened that night, how he did what he did because he was so full of overwhelming rage and emotion. But no, it would be best for him not to contact her, it would be best for him to never loose control like that again.

Making a decision, Gohan crushed the watch in his palm, the glass casing shattering as tiny puffs of smoke dissipated into the air.

He knew Bulma would be cross with him for destroying the thing she worked so hard to build for him, but he didn't really see the point of having it anymore. It's not like it would use it again.

Unfortunately for Gohan, the slight tinkering of glass caused the little boy in his arms to stir.

"Shhh, shh little guy, it's alright," the teenager cooed, his eyes glancing to the clock on his bedside table.

It was just past midnight, and he really didn't want to wake up his family in the middle of the night again, he was certain that they were getting just as frustrated as he was.

In an attempt to soothe the disgruntled child, the young saiyan gently bounced him in his arms. Gohan crept tentatively onto the darkened landing and made his way down the stairs, his feet padding lightly on the cool wooden floor as he entered the kitchen.

The baby boy whimpered, tears brimming at the corners of his emerald eyes.

To Gohan's surprise, the kitchen was dimly lit by the light above the stove, and it was only when he caught sight of his mother sat at the table with a cup of cocoa did he realise he must have already woken her.

"Sorry Mum," he whispered, not wanting to wake his brother up also, "I didn't-"

"It's alright sweetheart I was already up," she smiled softly, her onyx eyes twinkling as she caught sight of the teen cradling her grandson, "Is he hungry?"

"Think so," said Gohan, "Is there any clean-?"

"There's clean bottles on the draining board," she informed him, still smiling.

"Thanks," he replied sheepishly, grabbing one and attempting to put in the formula one handed, subsequently knocking it all over the counter, "shit."

"Language Gohan," his mother scolded, getting up from her place and moving over to him, "Here let me, go and sit down before you make any more mess."

The young saiyan obeyed, rubbing the baby's back gently as he began to cry, "Shh kiddo, Grandma's getting you some milk now, please stop crying."

"Here darling," cooed Chi-Chi, placing the warm bottle into his hand.

As soon as the sound of rapid sucking filled the room did the teenager breathe a sigh of relief, "Thanks Mum."

"You're welcome," she chuckled, sitting down opposite him as he let out a huge yawn, "It's a hard job isn't it?"

"I never knew I could be so tired," he replied.

"That's parenting for you," said Chi-Chi, "though I think you're handling it quite well."

Gohan scoffed, "Bulma and Vegeta don't seem to think so."

"Nonsense," she said, "I'll have you know that no one was as unprepared for parenthood as your father."

He blinked, she hadn't spoken about his father to him so readily in years, "Really?"

His mother nodded, "Oh yes, he had never even seen a baby before, let alone held one."

The young saiyan laughed, "I can imagine actually, Krillin told me once that he didn't know the difference between girls and boys at one point."

"That's true," she chuckled, "Your father was a case, but as clueless as he was, I'd never seen pride like it when you were born, not even Vegeta's pride could measure up to how proud Goku was."

Gohan looked away, his gaze focusing on his own son who was guzzling his milk like there was no tomorrow.

"Oh how I wish he could of met Goten," said Ch-Chi lovingly, "and this little one of course, he'd be so proud of you all."

"Shocked I think is the word you're looking for mother," he grinned cheekily.

"Well yes, there is that," she smiled, a slight tinge of pink to her cheeks, "But I think he would be proud of you all the same, just like I am."

Gohan couldn't help but smile back, it had been years since he and his mother had sat down like this, just talking and sharing stories.

"Mum?" the teenager called after a moments peaceful silence.

"Yes dear?"

"I think I know what to call him."


	18. Birthday Surprises

**Chapter Seventeen**

 **Birthday Surprises**

 **xxxx**

Son Gokuto was the perfect name for the little boy in his opinion. Of course, he didn't want to all out 'Goku' him, it would put way too much pressure on the poor kid.

Still, it only felt right to honour his father in some way, and it even kept in line with the male naming tradition of his family. His mother had utterly sobbed her heart out when he had told her what he would be naming his son, Bulma too had shed a proud tear or two.

Kami he wished his family weren't so bloody emotional.

For now though, it was time to get back to reality. Gohan's paternity leave was over and he had to get into a routine of going to work and studying for his exams at West City Academy, all the while whilst juggling fatherhood.

It was starting to get a little lonely.

The other interns were not on speaking terms with the young saiyan, Iris having told them that he had been cheating on her and now as consequence had fathered a child. It was complete and utter bullshit, but Gohan just didn't have the time to confront the girl, he had much more pressing matters to attend to.

Gokuto was now two months old, and was starting to hold his head up on his own, recognise people and now had a full head of messy black hair. Unfortunately for the teenager, the little saiyan was still as hostile as ever, and he was certain that the child enjoyed making his ears bleed.

The month of May was upon them, the summer sun greeting the planes of Mount Paozu in a warm orange glow. Dew drops glistened as they clung to blades of grass amongst the deep and cavernous valleys. The forests swelled with life as sunlight greeted the lush trees and flower filled clearings. Vast lakes reflected the morning sun, casting a beautiful glow over their velvety smooth surfaces.

It was peaceful, save for the gentle chirp of sparrows and blue tits that rose at the crack of dawn. The small feathered creatures flapped their wings as they flew wistfully through the morning air, intent on gathering a good breakfast to feed their young.

The best spot lay at the edge of the forest, where the soil was rich and worms plentiful. They usually paid no mind to the small domed structure and cottage buildings that sat beside the trees. Sometimes, a small boy with thick spikey hair would throw out scraps of delicious home baked bread for them to eat.

The air was calm and still, perfect conditions to eat in peace.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The birds flew quickly, startled squawks escaping their beaks as a loud, high pitched wail echoed over the valleys. It did not die down, gradually getting louder and louder as the cry protruded from a bedroom window at the back of the little domed house.

"I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE CRYING, I SHOULD BE THE ONE THAT'S CRYING!" An adolescent voice bellowed. It was safe to say that the birds had well and truly scarpered.

Gohan's head was spinning, his features contorted in to one of disgust as he threw the dirty nappy into the already full bin next to him.

The newly turned sixteen year old was enjoying the first real sleep he had had in two months. Albeit a rather uncomfortable one, as he had had to kick out a few baby toys out of his bed as well as prise a bottle from under his backside during the night. But still, it was the best sleep he had had in a while, and the teenager was taking advantage of it for all it was worth.

That is, until the screaming two month old had offended his ears at the crack of dawn.

"Gokuto, stay still!" scolded Gohan, as the boy kicked his legs furiously on the changing mat he was lay upon, his tail batting the teen in the face. His eyes were scrunched up as hot ears rolled down his face, his bottom completely bare as the halfling struggled to put a clean nappy on him.

The young saiyan sighed in defeat, as Gokuto's tail hit him in the nose again.

Gohan's bedroom was in complete disarray, the floor littered with toys and piles of dirty clothes. Empty, scrunched up cans of energy drinks covered his desk, along with milk bottles, baby wipes and packs of nappies. Gokuto's crib was next to Gohan's bed, although the child now rarely slept in it, preferring Gohan's chest as a pillow. The changing table sat underneath the window, where the sunlight was steadily creeping in through the pane.

He was sure the glass would crack at any minute by the sheer force of the baby's lungs.

"Come on kiddo, work with me here!" he cried, waving numerous toys and rattles in the baby's face in a desperate attempt to calm him down.

Gradually his crying ceased, as he caught sight of the plush purple dragon Gohan was holding. Gokuto's emerald eyes widened in wonder, his chubby hands grasping towards the toy.

"Aw, you like that?" cooed Gohan, nuzzling the snout on his chubby cheek. He had to admit that the baby boy was rather cute when he wasn't crying, "Say hi, it's Icarus!"

The young saiyan was so immersed in watching his son play, it took him a second to notice something warm trickling down his chest.

"Oh Gokuto!" he groaned, as the baby babbled loudly.

Even though Bulma had readily given him the day off, getting pissed on was not his idea of a Happy Birthday.

Gohan sighed, successfully dressing the boy now that he wasn't screaming and picking him up, before heading downstairs and making his way to the living room.

Plonking himself down heavily on the floor after strapping Gokuto into his bouncy chair, he leaned against the soft material of the sofa, his foot bouncing the chair for the baby boy. If anything, this _had_ to get the little saiyan to sleep, if not, Gohan wasn't sure how long he would last.

He yawned, maybe his mother wouldn't mind taking him off his hands whilst he got a couple more hours rest.

"Gohan, I'm going out!"

The teenager sat up so fast he nearly hurled Gokuto out of his bouncer, causing the boy to squeal in delight.

"Out? Out where?!" Gohan asked frantically, as his mother entered the living room with her handbag over her shoulder.

"To the shops of course dear," Chi-Chi informed, "We're out of milk, bread and all sorts."

"But Mum!" He pressed, "Can't you go later? I know! We can go by the village with 'Kuto after I've slept some more and-"

"Absolutely not," she frowned, "I won't be able to concentrate on what I need, and then there's the pushchair and what if he gets hungry. Goodness Gohan I'll only be gone a few hours, I think it's time you spent time with Gokuto on your own. Besides, I have to get everything ready for your party tonight, I just won't have the time!"

Ah, the party. The birthday party his mother had insisted upon him having. He had only eventually agreed to it given the fact that Gokuto hadn't had a proper 'welcome to the world' as it were, and the Z-gang were eager to celebrate the birth of Goku's first grandchild.

"A few hours?" The halfling sweated, he had never been left alone that long with the boy. When it got too much, he had always gone to visit one of his friends and attempted to pawn the child off on them. "But Mum what if he cries and I can't stop it?! He's been screaming at me all morning _again_."

"You'll be fine sweetheart," she mused, a small smile upon her lips, "I'll be back soon, I'm sure Goten will help out a little if you ask him to."

Before Gohan could protest any further she left the room, closing the door with a click and leaving the pair in silence.

"Don't leave me!" He cried longingly, but his mother was already gone.

He groaned, placing his hand in his hands. He couldn't see what help his little brother would be, Goten would no doubt prove as useless as he was. Not only that, the four year old didn't know how to change a nappy or make a bottle. Ugh, it was utterly hopeless.

The young saiyan turned to Gokuto, who's green eyes were looking at him in wonder.

"Well, I suppose it's just you and me kiddo."

 **xxxx**

"PICCOLO MAKE IT STOP!"

"YOU MAKE IT STOP! YOU MADE IT!"

"OH, OH YEAH THANKS! NOW IF YOU COULD PUT ALL THAT EFFORT LECTURING ME INTO _HELPING_ ME WE MIGHT ACTUALLY GET SOMEWHERE!"

Gohan was ready to pull his hair out, and he guessed Piccolo wanted to tear his ears off in a similar manner.

Gokuto hadn't stopped screaming for thirty solid minutes after his mother had left. The young saiyan just didn't understand, the baby boy was an angel when he was in hospital, if it wasn't for the tail, he would have thought he had taken the wrong baby home by mistake.

He had reached Piccolo via their mental bond when he was all out of options. Gohan had changed him, fed him, winded him, give him a bath, sang him a song, rocked him, cuddled him and yet, Gokuto was still screaming.

Calling his mentor probably wasn't such a good idea, and in hindsight, he should have called Bulma. The teenager _wanted_ to prove that he could do this on his own, both to himself and everyone else, but he was having no luck so far.

"Maybe he needs feeding again," Piccolo offered, as Gohan rocked the wailing baby in his arms.

"He's had twelve bottles!" He blurted, "I know he's part saiyan but that's just ridiculous!"

"Well try again," the Namekian growled.

Gohan sighed, "Fine, hold him."

Piccolo was startled, as the teenager thrust a thrashing Gokuto into his arms, his tail hitting him in the nose.

Not a minute later, did the halfling return with a fresh warm bottle of milk, that was immediately backhanded by the infant as soon as it came near.

The two Z-Fighter's winced, as the bottle became embedded into the wall.

"Saiyan strength too," Piccolo observed.

Gohan moaned hopelessly, falling onto the couch next to him, "I'm not cut out for this, what the hell am I going to do?"

"It'll pass kid, he's probably just teething or something."

The teen gave him an odd look, "Since when do you know anything about babies?"

"Since you became a father at fifteen that's when," Piccolo shot back.

"Fair point. Ah! Gokuto no!" He cried, as the baby reached up and grabbed Piccolo's antenna.

"Get it off Gohan! Get it off!" he yelled, as Gokuto tugged hard.

The young saiyan quickly prised the child's fingers away from his mentor, causing the boy to scream even louder.

They sighed hopelessly, collapsing onto the sofa.

"I've created a monster," Gohan groaned, resting his head in his heads.

"No you've created a baby brat," came a sudden voice from the doorway, "And it's about time you learned how to deal with one like a man."

"Vegeta?" the teenager blinked, "What are you doing here?"

The prince scoffed, "I'm fed up of your whining and the runt's screeching, now stand aside and give me that Kami forsaken bottle."

Gohan stared at the man, dumfounded, "You're helping?"

"I know, I don't believe it either," said Vegeta, "But here I am, Mary fucking Poppins."

The young saiyan could hardly believe his eyes as he passed the bottle to the awaiting prince and allowed him to take his place on the sofa. Calmly, Vegeta picked up the distraught child by the scruff of his baby grow and sat him on his knee.

"Stop squirming runt," Vegeta growled, pushing the bottle to Gokuto's lips he continued to cry, "drink it, if you know whats good for you."

Gokuto made a tiny grunt of protest, before turning away from the teat, hitting Vegeta in the face with his tail.

Gohan cringed, as Vegeta's eye twitched.

The baby boy cried out in protest as he was firmly lifted up into the air by the scruff of his baby grow once more. The teenager knew the prince wasn't hurting him, but couldn't help but wince as Gokuto became level with Vegeta's line of sight, their noses almost touching.

"Listen here you little runt," he whispered harshly, "I will not tolerate such insolence, let alone from the spawn of an idiot low-class. _I_ am Vegeta, prince of all saiyans, which unfortunately includes _you_."

Gokuto's frown only deepened, his tail swishing behind him as Vegeta continued, their eyes locked together.

"As your prince, you abide by my rules, which includes drinking your milk when your father tells you to," Vegeta's stare was penetrating, unwavering, and Gohan was glad he wasn't on the receiving end of that glare.

"So, what's it going to be?" the prince said dangerously, reaching over and picking up the bottle once more, "Are you going to drink this manufactured milk that is appropriate for your puny digestive system, or are you willing to suffer the consequences?"

Gokuto was silent, his emerald gaze shifting from Vegeta to the bottle, which was once more aiming for his lips. Then, to Gohan's amazement the little saiyan opened his mouth obediently, allowing the triumphant prince to thrust the teat into his mouth.

The teenager watched in awe, as Vegeta settled Gokuto down on his lap and continued to feed him.

"How did you do that?" the teenager asked weakly, sharing an aghast look with Piccolo.

"Consider it a birthday present," said Vegeta, "I've shown you how to handle the runt properly, I shan't be doing it again."

"Wow, er thanks Vegeta," he blinked.

"Hn."

"Has Gokuto stopped crying now?" came a tentative voice from the hallway.

"Yeah Goten," Gohan sighed as his brother entered the living room in his pyjamas, rubbing his sleep filled eyed, "Sorry for waking you up bro."

"That's okay!" Goten smiled, his eyes fixed on Vegeta, "What are you doing here Uncle Vegeta? Ooh! Is Trunks here?!"

"How many times brat, I'm not your uncle!" The saiyan prince snapped, though it didn't seem to faze the young boy, "And I'm here to teach your brother how to stop being a pussy."

Gohan face-palmed.

"A pussy cat?" Goten asked inquisitively, "Why are you acting like a pussy cat Gohan? Is it a new disguise?"

"It doesn't matter Goten," said the teen, shooting a glare at a smirking Vegeta, "Why don't you go and get dressed? Mum will have a fit if she sees you're still in your pyjamas when she gets back."

"Ooh like when she found out about your tattoos the other day? 'Cause that was really scarwy!"

"Yes, just like that Goten," he sighed, "now hurry up before she gets back and catches you."

As is brother scarpered, Piccolo gave him an amused look, "So, she found out?"

"Yeah, a couple of days ago," Gohan admitted, "I've been a bit careless lately, she caught me topless when I was changing out of a vomit covered shirt and saw everything."

"How did that go?" the Namekian asked.

"I thought I was going to die."

"That bad?"

"Oh yeah, I'm grounded until Gokuto learns how to walk," said Gohan, causing the two men to erupt into laughter.

"What's so funny?" the teenager frowned.

"Nothing," snorted Vegeta, "We just find it amusing that you're a father and still get grounded by your mummy."

"You have to admit Gohan, it is pretty funny," said Piccolo.

"Hilarious," the young saiyan spat, "are you finished mocking me now?"

"No," they chorused.

"Of course," sighed Gohan, "Well now that Gokuto's stopped screaming his head off you'd better go before my mum gets back, I want her to think that I managed to settle the little bugger on my own."

"You'll have a hard time convincing her brat."

"Huh?"

"Gohan, Goten, Gokuto! I'm back!"

"Bollocks."

 **xxxx**

"Happy Birthday Gohan!"

The young saiyan smiled as he swung open the front door to greet the mini chorus.

"Thanks Bulma," said Gohan, as the blue-haired woman pulled him into an enormous hug.

It was late afternoon, and the sun was still shining brightly over Mount Paozu. His mother had finally ceased cooking and was currently changing Gokuto _again_ as he had somehow managed to get himself into a bag full of flour. Gohan and Goten were still trying to clean up the mess when the door bell rang, and the first guests had arrived.

"Hi Gohan!" beamed the ever excitable Trunks, bouncing up to him and handing him a neatly wrapped, palm sized package. "Happy Birthday!"

"Cheers Trunks," he grinned, ruffling his lavender hair, "Come in guys."

Vegeta grunted as he followed his wife and son into the brightly lit home. After Chi-Chi had returned, she had ordered both he and Piccolo out of the house, exclaiming that she didn't want 'aliens' loitering around when she was trying to get everything ready for her 'precious baby boy's' birthday party. They had gladly left hurriedly, much to Gohan's distain, as as soon as they had left did Gokuto start crying again.

Vegeta was dressed in less formal attire than his family, instead opting for his usual attire of spandex gi and gloves. He held a ten month old Bulla on his hip, who giggled as Gohan tickled her belly.

"Hi there Bulla, aren't you getting big?" he smiled, as the baby girl squealed in delight.

"Just wait until she begins her training," smirked Vegeta, "I have no doubt that she'll be able to pummel your brat into the ground."

"Vegeta!" Bulma snapped, "Don't start pinning them off against each other before they can even walk!"

The saiyan prince merely shrugged at his wife, before breezing past them and heading for the living room, Trunks scurrying along in his wake.

"That man, honestly," Bulma sighed, flashing the halfling a smile. "You look handsome Gohan, what's with the outfit?"

The teenager rolled his eyes as she looked him up and down. He was dressed in a nice pair of black trousers and a white, Eastern style shirt.

"It was literally the last thing in my wardrobe that was clean."

Bulma threw back her head in laughter, "That's what you get when you have kids Gohan."

"Yeah, I suppose," he sighed, tugging on his shirt.

The blue haired heiress placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, opening her mouth to reply when the chiming of the doorbell cut him off. Flashing her an apologetic smile, he opened it, leaving her to go off in search of his mother.

"Happy Birthday kid," Piccolo smirked, as the door swung open.

"Piccolo?" Gohan blinked in surprise, "Since when do you use the door?"

"Since your mother put those ridiculous baby proof locks on the windows," the Namekian replied gruffly, stepping into the house.

The young saiyan chuckled, "Yeah she only locked them up for the party. It is a bit daft really, he only got out the once. I'd never thought I'd see the day though…" he added with a wicked smile.

"What?" he asked, eyeing at him.

"The Super Namekian! Finally defeated by baby safety equipment!" Gohan sang, causing his mentor to shoot him a glare most murderous.

"Do you want to live to see your next birthday?"

The teenager simply smirked, leading the way to the living room where his mother was currently handing out refreshments. Old tunes floated from the wireless on the mantelpiece, streamers and balloons filled the room and a large banner hung over the alcove leading to the kitchen, decorated with the words ' _Happy 16th Birthday Gohan!_ "

"Oh hello Piccolo," the ox-princess smiled politely from where she was handing out appetisers.

The Namekian nodded in response, before going to find a corner to meditate in.

Bulma was sat on the arm of the sofa, sipping a glass of wine his mother had just poured her, whilst Goten, Trunks, Gokuto and Bulla played on the rug in front of her. Vegeta was leaning casually up the wall beside the buffet table, no doubt awaiting the point where Chi-Chi announced that the food was ready to devour.

Slowly but surely, the rest of the Z-gang arrived. First Yamcha and Puar, followed by Krillin, Eighteen and Marron; Master Roshi, Oolong and Turtle, even Tien, Launch and Chaiozu came from the North to wish the young saiyan a happy birthday. His grandfather had turned up with his usual mountain of presents, and Gohan was delighted when Dende had arrived too, exclaiming that Mister Popo was covering for him for the night. Korin and Yajirobe were too busy tending to the next batch of senzu beans to attend, though they sent many happy returns.

The Z-gang were simply besotted with Gokuto, who seemed more than happy to be passed around like a package in a game of pass the parcel. Thankfully, it kept him occupied whilst Gohan and Dende helped themselves to cake.

Soon enough, as Gokuto was handed to Launch, did the conversation turn to the upcoming tournament.

"So, how about you Krillin, are you thinking of entering the tournament?" asked Yamcha in between sips of beer.

"Well, I don't know, the wife wants us both to enter…"

"That's right," called Eighteen from where she was now sat with Gokuto on her lap, and allowing Launch to pull silly faces at the boy, "I heard there's plenty of prize money to be won, and we are not missing out on that!"

"I suppose," said Krillin glumly.

"Oh come on Krillin, it'll be just like old times, Chaiozu and I are entering," said Tien.

"Is that so?" Piccolo grunted from the corner, "In that case, I'll enter as well, seems like we've got a couple of years to train-"

"If dad and Piccolo are competing then we want to as well! Right Goten?" Trunks exclaimed.

"Yeah!"

"Well, I did hear that there's going to be a junior competition…" Bulma pondered.

"Nonsense," Vegeta scoffed, "I won't have my son compete with mere children, he is a warrior!"

"Yeah what dad said!" Trunks grinned.

"I'm not sure that it's a good idea," Chi-Chi tutted, "I don't want my boys involved. It seems as though they will miss a lot of their studies training to compete, and Gohan is starting his internship come September…"

Eighteen smirked, "Did I mention that first prize is ten million Zeni?"

"WHAT?!" Chi-Chi shrieked, causing the entire room to clasp their hands over their ears, "Gohan you _have_ to enter, you could get a PhD with that kind of money!"

The young saiyan was halfway through swallowing a mouthful of chocolate cake, and choked, "W-what? But _Mum_ I don't want to compete!"

"Nonsense Gohan, think of the opportunities you'll have at your fingertips!"

"But I don't want -!"

 _"Your mother's right son, that's not the kind of attitude to have!"_

Gohan froze, along with the other occupants of the room. The young saiyan couldn't believe what he was hearing, he had only heard that voice in the darkest moments of his dreams over the last five years. And now, here it was again, echoing over the living room in that cheery manner as though nothing had ever happened.

He had originally thought he had officially lost it, but the look on everyone's faces said differently, as they had clearly heard it too.

"D-dad?" Gohan croaked, half-willing, half-dreading that the voice would speak again.

 _"Yeah it's me!"_ Goku laughed from above, _"Happy Birthday Gohan!"_

There was a dull thud, as his mother promptly fainted.

"Goku, i-is that really you?" asked Krillin, tears welling up in his eyes.

 _"Hi Krillin! Yep, I'm speaking through King Kai, he's just told me about the world martial arts tournament happening on Earth again!"_

"So what Kakarot?" Vegeta snorted, "Come to wish us good luck have you?"

 _"No Vegeta, silly!"_ Goku chimed, _"I'm communicating with you all to tell you that I've pulled a few strings and thanks to Baba, I'm allowed to come back to Earth for a full 72 hours to compete with you all!"_

"You're joking?!" Yamcha exclaimed.

 _"Not at all my friends, I'm really looking forward to it, can't wait to see you all again, it's been too long. Um, has Chi-Chi fainted?"_

There was a chorus of 'yes', causing the deceased warrior to chuckle.

 _"Ah well, I suppose I'll have to speak to her when I see her. I've got to go, train hard everyone! See you in two years!"_

And with that, he was gone.

The room erupted into excitable chatter, each one of the Z-gang not quite believing what had just transpired.

"Wow, wicked eh?" grinned Yamcha.

"Yeah," nodded Krillin, happy tears shining in his eyes, "Goku's really coming back! Now I can't wait! What about you Gohan-? Gohan?"

But the young saiyan had long since left the room.

In fact, the teenager was lounging around outside, his back resting up the wall of the house as he puffed gratefully on a cigarette. Blowing out the torrent of smoke, Gohan rested his head back on the wall, lifting his gaze towards the starlit sky above.

"You alright kiddo?"

It was Bulma.

He shrugged his shoulders, not really feeling like giving her an answer. Bulma sighed, leaning up the wall beside him and getting out her own cigarette. Gohan wasted no time in helping her to light it with a spark of Ki from his finger. She smiled, inhaling her fix and watching the smoke disappear into the night.

"Your mum's in shock," she said after a while, though Gohan said nothing. "Gohan, talk to me, are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm just splendid Bulma," the teen scoffed, "Just spoke to my dead father who tells me he's just nipping back from Otherworld to compete in a tournament. I'm fan-bloody-tastic."

"There's no need for sarcasm Gohan."

Gohan ignored her, taking another drag. "I just can't believe it."

"Neither can I," she sighed sadly, "But chin up kid, I'm sure the reason he's coming back is because he misses you all, the tournament is just a convenient time for him to spend time with everyone."

"I suppose," he sighed, "It's just been ages since I last saw him, the last time was…"

"I know," said Bulma knowingly, "You've changed so much, I think it will be hard for him too."

"Which bit?" he couldn't help but smirk, "The tattoos, the smoking or the kid?"

Bulma chuckled, hitting him playfully on the shoulder, "I _meant_ seeing you all grown up, but yes I can see what you mean. Gokuto will be a big surprise for him."

"He was for me," he snorted.

"Speaking of surprises," said Bulma, fishing inside her jacket pocket, "I have one for you."

"I think I've had enough surprises for one day," the young saiyan groaned.

"Oh, I think you'll like this one," she smirked, taking out a shiny capsule and deactivating it in a cloud of smoke in front of him.

Gohan's eyes widened as the cloud subsided, revealing a sleek black motorcycle with silver cylinders. A large dome, much like one's on the new Capsule Corp. modules, spread over the drivers seat which was covered in plush black leather.

"No. Fucking. Way."

"Yes way," Bulma chuckled, "Do you like it?"

" _Like it_?!" he exclaimed, walking over and examining the bike, "Bulma, its incredible!"

"Well I should hope so, I didn't have much to work with," she winked, catching the quizzical look on the young saiyan's face, "It was Lime's old bike. I spoke with Mister Lao a couple of weeks ago, he called me up saying the broken bits were just lying around in his garage. He told me how much you and Lime loved that bike, and how she would have wanted you to have it. I've even put a booster seat in for Gokuto."

Gohan's mouth ran dry, and was so overcome with emotion he nearly bowled Bulma over in a fierce hug.

"Thank you," he whispered into her shoulder.

"You're welcome kiddo," she grinned, hugging him tightly, "do you want to take it for a spin?"

"Do I?!" He jumped up in exhilaration, swiping the keys out of her awaiting palm and jumping into the driver's seat.

"Oi Gohan! Nice ride mate! Do you like it?" Yamcha called from the window as soon as he revved up the engine.

Soon enough, the rest of the Z-gang were hanging out of the window, watching with knowing, beaming smiles as the young saiyan got a feel for the bike.

"This, is awesome," Gohan spoke aloud, turning the keys in the ignition. The engine roared to life, echoing over the valleys, and just as he began to ride away into the forest, did his irate mother run out into the garden.

"Son Gohan where do you think you're going?! Who gave you permission to ride that death trap?! You can't leave your birthday party! Get back here!"

"Gohan be careful!" Bulma cried after him.

But the teenager didn't listen, he sped over the mountain's treacherous path, knowing exactly where he needed to be on the night of his sixteenth birthday.

A loud roar echoed over the vast mountain range, and Gohan looked up to see Icarus flying overhead, keeping a vigil on his master's journey. It must have been at least half an hour before he reached the sleepy town of Chazke Village, and ten minutes more before he reached the Lao's.

Usually, he would have gone straight up to Lime's bedroom, but he knew that would startle the now fragile girl. Still, even just sitting outside her bedroom window helped.

Oh what he wouldn't give to tell her of his father's return, what he wouldn't give for her care and support. He wanted to speak to her, he wanted to hear her laughter and smile at her incredible witty nature.

But for now, this would have to do.

He didn't know how long he had spent outside the Lao's home, resting against his motorcycle as Icarus flew around in circles overhead. But by the time he had gotten back the Z-gang had already left, the empty plates and glasses from the party mostly cleared away and his mother and brother fast asleep. Gokuto was sleeping soundly in his cot, gurgling happily in his dreams.

Gohan leaned over the crib, his forearms resting on the wooden frame as he watched the infant sleep. He wondered what he was dreaming about that had made him so peaceful that night, but the young saiyan couldn't help but think that the same thing would fill his own dreams, as soon as his head hit the pillow.


	19. The Single Mothers Club

_Hello everyone! So here's the next chapter! Sorry its a little late, I had to get round to editing and have just started my final year of uni so am very busy right now. The only reason I have managed to update is because I have been sick all week - and I realised its been over a month since I last posted. So here's the next instalment of Gohan's unfolding adventures - thank you everyone who have been reading and been so supportive so far! You absolute stars! Enjoy :) xx_

 **Chapter Eighteen**

 **The Single Mothers Club**

 **xxxx**

"Alright Goten, lets go."

It seemed ridiculous that he was the only one of the Z-Fighter's not entering the tournament, even his little brother was competing for goodness sake. Of course, it took several months to convince him, but the look on his brother's face and his mother's relentless nagging finally wore him down.

September was just on the horizon, and Gohan's exams had come and gone, which he was elated to find that he had passed with flying colours. But despite the holiday Bulma had given him off before starting his internship, the young saiyan still had work to do, which started today in the grassy planes of Mount Paozu with Goten.

The young saiyan was dressed in a dark purple gi with a red sash, that displayed his muscles and tattoos. He wore black training boots and red weighted wrist bands that Piccolo had given him for his birthday. Goten was also dressed in a fighting gi, but his was long sleeved, black and orange in colour, with a blue sash tied tightly around his middle.

The young boy was excited to get started, yet Gohan was finding it difficult to concentrate, as he had to keep an eye on Gokuto.

The five month old was currently sat in his bouncer, admiring the butterflies that circled around him. His emerald eyes sparkled at his surroundings, his tail swishing with anticipation. Although the boy was unbearably cute, Gohan was nearing the end of his tether with the child. Gokuto hadn't slept through one night without waking up screaming. He didn't know if there was something wrong with him or that, sadly he just still hadn't bonded with the boy and vice versa.

Still, the child seemed settled for now, much to Gohan's relief.

"So you want me to hit you with the rocks?" asked Goten, breaking the teenager out of his thoughts.

Gohan sighed, "For the fifth time, _yes_ Goten."

"But why?"

The young saiyan slapped a hand to his head. Just how many times did he have to go through this?

He thought picking Goten to train with rather than any of the Z-Fighters would be the easier option, and would save him from getting his arse kicked a hundred times over. He wasn't bothered about winning, all he had to do was make it look like he was doing his bit to take part. He would never hear the end of it other wise.

Yet Gohan had never trained with Goten before, and he was quickly beginning to understand why.

"It's a drill that Piccolo taught me," explained Gohan, "It sharpens intuitive reaction."

"Into-wut?"

He sighed again, "It teaches you how to act when you don't have time to think!"

"Ooh, I think I get it," said Goten happily, placing more rocks on the ground beside him.

"Good," said the teen, "Now remember to stay behind the line, no cheating alright?"

"Alright!" chimed Goten, before picking up a rock and throwing it as hard as he could.

The teenager blinked as the rock came hurtling towards him, a lot quicker than he expected. He barely managed to dodge it as it sped past him, embedding itself into the mountain behind him and whizzing through the other side in a display of impressive strength.

"Fucking hell," Gohan swore, sizing up the hole that Goten's throw had left.

"This is fun Gohan, let's go again!"

"WAIT!" The young saiyan yelled, hurrying forwards and pushing his brother back a few feet, "You know what, I think we should move the line back a bit. I didn't know you could throw that hard Goten! That was actually amazing!"

"Wow thanks Gohan!" his brother smiled.

The teen couldn't help but grin, "Alright, so you ready to go again?"

"Yep!"

"On the count of three, just fire them at me Goten! One, two, three!"

 **BOOM**

 **BOOM**

 **BOOM**

Gohan dodged each rock as they sped towards him, flipping over and ducking as they crashed into the mountain. Though he wouldn't admit it, Piccolo and Vegeta's training had certainly paid off, he hadn't felt so agile in years.

He grinned, hearing Gokuto clap and giggle from his bouncer as he shot into the air once more, transforming into his super saiyan form as he went.

"Step it up Goten!" Gohan yelled, coming back down to the earth as another flurry of rocks careened towards him.

"Nice!" he praised, flipping over one handed and avoiding three rocks that sped towards him like speeding bullets at the same time.

Suddenly, it was over, and Gohan had thought they had ran out of rocks when he saw the saddened look on his brother's face.

"Goten? What's up?"

"I want to be like you now," said the young halfling.

Gohan frowned, "Like me? What do you mean?"

"You know, super saiyan."

The teenager snorted with laughter, "Aw don't worry Goten, you're a little young yet to be thinking about that. It takes a lot of hard years of training to become a super saiyan, although _I was_ the youngest super saiyan ever. Don't worry about it, I bet you'll be a super saiyan soon enough-"

His sentence was abruptly cut off, by the appearance of a shining golden light than illuminated the planes around them. An almighty bellow sounded from his little brother's chest as he was engulfed in hot golden flames. Goten's black hair stood on end, turning to gold in an instant, his eyes glistened a vibrant shade of green, and he had the most angered look on his face that Gohan had never seen in such a young boy before.

"G-Goten?!" Gohan spluttered, "Y-your a super saiyan?! When?! How?! What the actual fuck!"

The golden flames dissipated, though his hair still remained gold, "Oh you know, training with Mummy."

The teenager felt as though he had been slapped in the face, "Of course you were. Blimey Goten you're not even six years old yet!"

"Is that bad?" he asked glumly, "Mummy says I'm not allowed to do it again."

"N-No, Goten," Gohan said sincerely, though still a little flustered, "It's amazing! When did this happen?!"

Goten frowned in thought, "I don't remember."

"Oh Kami," groaned the teen, "and let me guess, Trunks can turn super saiyan as well?"

"Oh yeah!" Goten exclaimed gleefully, "We do it all the time in our fighting games."

"Fighting games?!" he cried, "No wonder you can both turn super saiyan, does Vegeta know?"

"No…"

"Good," said the teen, "Don't tell him."

"Why?"

"I don't even want to explain the shit we were subjected to when Dad could turn super saiyan and he couldn't," he informed the boy, "Right, what do you say to moving Gokuto somewhere a little bit safer and get some real training done?"

As the days went on, he had to admit that he was rather enjoying himself. He was taking it slow, most training sessions ending up with him teaching his little brother how to control his super saiyan form, along with a few moves. Training with Goten was actually turning out to be fun.

It was nice, just the three of them; him, Goten and Gokuto out in the scorching meadows all day. Occasionally his mother would come by on Nimbus to drop by some lunch for them and play with a restless Gokuto for a while. When Gohan thought back to such a happy scene, he wished his father could see just what he was missing out on.

Just not when Gokuto was having one of his tantrums.

"I think what you need is more support," Bulma offered one day when Gokuto was in the mist of such a fit, his chubby fists grasping onto Gohan's long hair, his face red and his eyes screwed up in despair. The crying was enough to make the young saiyan's head spin.

"Support from who exactly?" Gohan guffawed, "Mum wants me to be as independent as I can, Piccolo is no use and Vegeta only helped _once_. Everyone else is terrified he'll scream their ears off. I don't know whats wrong with him Bulma, he cries _all. the. time._ I'm so tired I don't know what to do anymore!"

"It's hard being a parent," she nodded in sympathy, before adding thoughtfully, "well not for me, I have people to put Bulla down for a nap when I'm working…"

Gohan shot her a most hateful glare.

"Although, I'd say you've got it a lot harder than most. You're going to be under a lot of pressure once you start your internship in a couple of weeks, not to mention Chi-Chi's been telling me you've been training Goten… hows that going by the way?"

"Good," said Gohan stiffly, struggling not to mention that his little brother had achieved the legendary transformation of the saiyan race, he had no doubt Bulma had no clue about Trunks' transformation either.

"Well, I think I may have a little something that might help," she continued, rummaging around in her desk draw, "It may take up a bit of your free time but its worth a try."

"Bulma, at this rate, I'll try anything," Gohan huffed, attempting to soothe the crying boy by bouncing him up and down on his knee.

Bulma beamed proudly, pushing a flamboyant pink and flowered leaflet towards him.

Gohan squinted, attempting to read the writing through the sickly bright colouring, it read;

 _Come along to the Single Mother's of West City Club!_

 _Where Mummy's and babies shine!_

 _'Aim for the moon, even if you fall you'll land amongst the stars'_

 _Coffee Morning's every Wednesday 9am-11am_

 _West Eden Community Centre_

 _Appleby Lane_

 _West City_

"You've got to be fucking joking."

"No I'm not mister! And watch that mouth in front of Gokuto!" Bulma scolded.

Gohan ignored her, staring in disgust at the glittery pamphlet, "What even is it?"

"It's a single mother's club," said Bulma, rolling her eyes, "I always get tons of leaflets through the door, and I kept this one for you. Excuse me for caring."

"What is this, 'even if you fall you'll land amongst the stars'?"

"It's their mantra."

"Sounds like a load of bollocks to me."

"It's _empowering,"_ the blue haired women pressed dissaprovingly, "Honestly Gohan I think you should go, it'll be good for you, you might pick up some tips!"

Gohan sighed, "Isn't there a group for, I dunno, single dads or teenage parents?"

"Sorry kid, that's all I've got," she smiled, "You should give it a try, it'll give you chance to be with people that are in a similar situation to you."

"Alright, if I go, and I said _if_!" Gohan stressed, "You have to promise not to tell Vegeta, or anyone else for that matter!"

Bulma looked saddened, "Aw, can't I tell Eighteen? Or Launch? They'll think it's sweet!"

"Absolutely not!" he scowled, "I'm telling you Bulma, you'd better promise or else I will not be going!"

 **xxxx**

"Welcome everyone, to Single Mothers of West City."

Gohan suppressed a groan, he couldn't believe that Bulma had signed him up for this - he couldn't believe he had actually agreed to it!

It was a breezy Wednesday morning, and the teen had already walked in late, getting lost in the city as he struggled to find the meeting place. The Single Mothers Club was situated in conference room in a small community centre. The chairs and tables had all been pushed back to the walls, with only one table set out at the back of the room, housing coffee, tea and biscuits for the group members. Everyone was given a slightly worn cushion to sit upon, which the teenager found especially uncomfortable, his knees tucked underneath him whilst he bounced Gokuto on his lap.

He had been ordered to leave the buggy outside, along with his shoes by a cheery woman at the reception. As Gohan slipped off his converse, he didn't notice any pair of shoes but his own that weren't pairs of heels or dolly shoes.

Gohan was surrounded by single mothers, ranging from their early twenties to forties. There were about twenty of them in total, all with babies and toddlers that they were either holding or letting play with the mountain of toys in the middle of the circle they were sat in.

The group was headed by a portly woman that the halfling had guessed to be in her early forties. She had frizzy brown hair and kind eyes. She was donned in a thick patterned cardigan and had numerous coloured beads hanging from her neck.

She addressed the room with an air of confidence, her smile settling on the half-saiyan.

"Now even though we do advertise as a single mothers group, we don't discriminate here," the woman, Sandra, spoke cheerily, "It's always nice to have new members. Why don't we go around the circle and introduce Mummy's _and Daddy's_ and our little ones?"

The teenager zoned out as the woman to Sandra's left began to speak about her and her toddler. In all honestly, Gohan couldn't really care less.

He sighed, as one of the babies next to him was promptly sick all over herself, gurgling happy as she turned to look at him with a toothless grin.

He couldn't believe he paid two Zeni to get into this hellhole. Stuff the coffee fund, he didn't even _like_ coffee!

"… and he did his first wee wee on the potty yesterday!" Another woman spoke from beside him, cuddling her toddler to her bosom.

Realising an applause had begun, Gohan quickly followed suit, switching his hands for his tail to hold Gokuto in place.

"Well done Maximilian!" Sandra cooed at the boy who's face was covered in drool, "Now, it's our newest member's time to shine…"

The young saiyan froze, as all eyes snapped towards him in interest.

"Come now, don't be shy," Sandra ushered gently, "Why don't you start by telling us your name?"

"Um," he started, holding onto his son a little tighter for support, "Well, I'm Gohan."

"Hello Gohan!" the women chorused.

"And I'm a single parent," he added, copying what the other's had said.

"Welcome Gohan, welcome," Sandra grinned.

The women looked at him expectantly, "Yeah, um. A friend forced- I mean, _suggested_ I come here, so I really don't know what to say."

"That's quite alright," she smiled, "Everyone's nervous the first time. How's about telling us about about yourself Gohan?"

"Er, I'm sixteen," he continued, trying to think of some kind of story, "I'm actually from the Eastern Mountains but I'm staying with an aunt in the city for a while… um…"

"And your little one?"

"Oh," he said hurriedly, gesturing to the baby boy, "this is Gokuto, he's five months old. And yeah, he has a tail, like me. Runs in the family."

No one seemed to care about the boy's furry appendage as the women positively gushed over him.

"Oh he's adorable!" a breastfeeding woman with an afro cooed, "Look at those chubby little cheeks!"

"I could just eat him up!" a singleton named Elsie swooned, tickling Gokuto's tummy.

Gokuto squealed with laughter, his tail waving frantically around him.

"Yeah, I suppose he is pretty cute," Gohan smiled, as the group fawned over his son.

"Like his dad eh?" Mother of twins, Talulah winked.

Gohan barely saw Gokuto for the rest of the meeting, as he was constantly being passed around by his new adoring fans.

The coffee break came around in no time at all, and the young saiyan was currently attempting to gulp down a steaming cup of coffee that had been thrust into his hands by Sandra, whilst Gokuto was nestled in between the bosom of another mother.

Sighing to himself, he made to reach for his tenth spoon of sugar when he knocked hands with someone.

"Whoops, sorry," he said, turning to a girl who looks to be a few years older than him.

She was about the same height as Gohan, with long straight blonde hair and light grey eyes. She was dressed in leggings and a tight long sleeved shirt, odd socks upon her feet.

The teenager blinked, she was very good looking, and the shirt she was wearing didn't leave much to the imagination.

"Got the same idea have you?" she mused, "I need something sweet if I have to endure another half an hour of this."

Gohan grinned, he was too busy brooding earlier he hadn't even noticed her.

"Same," he sighed, placing his cup back on the table, "What I wouldn't kill for a cigarette."

Her eyes lit up, "You smoke? Oh thank the gods! At least I have one person that wont judge me."

The halfling watched her, as she pulled out a packet of cigarettes from her purse, "Want one?"

With a look to make sure that Gokuto was still thoroughly entertained, he followed her outside, where they lit up and smoked in the car park.

"Honestly, I can't deal with those self righteous mothers," the girl scoffed, inhaling her fix, "Every week they turn up and boast how they've got so much sleep and baked a million fairy cakes. I'm sitting there thinking, I barely have time to piss!"

Gohan laughed, twirling his cigarette in between his fingers, "I know what you mean. And what's with the million milestone kid? What, he gets awarded for sticking a piece of lego up his nose every five minutes?"

She chuckled, "It's Gohan right? Kami, it's nice to talk to someone who actually gets it."

"Yeah," he grinned, "Sorry, but I didn't catch your name?"

"That bored were you?" she smirked, "It's Eve. My little boy's Amos, he's six months. Did you see the baby with really bright blonde hair? Sat with Sandra most of the morning, she loves him. Looks just like me thank Kami, his ugly prick of a dad left when I found out I was pregnant."

She finished, staring at him and cocking her head to one side, "So, what's your story?"

Gohan took another drag, not saying anything.

"That bad huh?" she winced, "Don't worry I'm sure the single mother's of West City will help you through it."

He laughed at her sarcastic tone, "How long have you been coming?"

"About two months," Eve admitted, "I moved here for uni from Satan City, got a place on my own after I got pregnant and had to drop out, so I don't really have many people to hang around with. It's nice here at the club, but there is a few nutters."

"I'm sure I can handle it," he grinned.

"I don't know," she mused, "You haven't gone through the emotional roller coaster yet, wait until they set the tears on you."

"Aw man," Gohan whined, "is that optional?"

"Definitely not, it's like your initiation to the group."

The teenager sighed, "Parenting is so hard. I had to travel all the way over here with a screaming baby, after being up all night with a screaming baby and now you're telling me I have to endure more screaming and crying from grown women! Is this what parenting is? Because so far, it really blows."

Silence greeted him as he finished his rant, and he looked towards her hesitantly, thinking he had said too much when she asked;

"Do you want to grab the babies, skip out and go for an ice-cream or something?"

Twenty minutes later, and Gohan was in Eve's apartment overlooking West City, not entirely sure how he had ended up here. They had somehow managed to forget all about ice cream and soon enough the teenager had followed her up to her apartment, placed the babies in the playpen and was currently snogging her furiously in the hallway.

"I haven't had sex in four months," Eve panted as she was pinned up the wall by Gohan. The young saiyan ravaging her neck with his lips.

At her words, he looked up, resting his forehead on hers, his onyx eyes full of lust, "I don't think I've slept for that long."

"Oh Kami!" the girl moaned in ecstasy, pushing him up the adjacent wall and tearing off his t-shirt by pulling it over his head.

"Every morning," she breathed heavily, her hands running all over his muscular shoulders, as he dipped his head low to kiss her chest, "Every morning I wake up with baby sick in my hair."

"I don't remember the last time I washed mine," the halfling groaned, lifting her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist.

Eve moaned, as Gohan ripped her shirt clean off, attempting to kick off his shoes at the same time. They bundled into the bedroom, crashing into her desk as they went. Clawing and tackling each other as pencils and books spilled out onto the ground around them.

"Last week, I spent nine hundred Zeni on a push chair," she whispered longingly, unbuckling his belt hurriedly, "I don't even have enough money to go back to uni."

Gohan panted, spinning them around and landing on top of her on the bed. He kissed her deeply, her hands running through his spikey hair.

Then, pulling back with a smirk, he whispered huskily, "I didn't even finish school."

She gasped, throwing her head backwards in pure ecstasy, "Oh! Say it again!"

"I didn't. finish. school," he said lowly.

With that, the blonde haired girl rolled them over, straddling him as she pushed him down on the bed. She did so with such force, that he nearly smacked his head off the headboard.

As the rest of his clothes were quickly taken care of, Gohan couldn't help but think that maybe he had been too harsh on Bulma. Maybe The Single Mothers of West City Club wasn't so bad for him after all.

 **xxxx**

"So brat, hows your mother's meetings going?"

It was a quiet Wednesday evening some few weeks later, and Gohan had decided to stop by Capsule Corp. for dinner after the single mother's club. Gokuto was busy playing with Bulla and Trunks on the floor next to them in the large dining room, whilst the teenager was enjoying a meal with Bulma and Vegeta that the kitchen staff had prepared.

"You _told_ him?!" Gohan growled suddenly at Bulma, his fork falling onto his plate with a loud clatter.

"Sorry," Bulma smiled sheepishly, "I couldn't help it! I just think it's such a good thing you're doing."

"So you decided to tell _Vegeta_ of all people?"

"Well he is my husband…" she said admittedly.

"That doesn't mean anything!" He yelled, "Who else have you told?"

"No one!" she protested, yet Vegeta cut across her.

"Your blasted mother and father were there when you told me woman, don't lie to the boy."

"Well that's not too bad I suppose…" said Gohan.

"And you happened to let it slip to the Namek when he was here earlier this morning enquiring as to the brat's whereabouts."

" _Bulma!"_

"Im sorry!" she cried, "that time it really was an accident!"

The young saiyan sighed, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest, "Great, by this time tomorrow the whole gang will know. Cheers for that."

"Oh don't be silly Gohan," said Bulma, "It's nothing to be ashamed of! Now, have you learned anything useful?"

The teenager thought for a moment, before looking towards them both with a wicked smirk, "Yeah actually, I learned that it's a great way to get laid."

Bulma's expression was priceless, as Vegeta roared with laughter.

"Gohan!" Bulma cried in despair, "I told you to go there and meet new people! It's supposed to be educational!

"But he is getting an education woman," The prince grinned, "Didn't you hear?"

"Yes but you're not supposed to be doing… doing that!" she yelled.

"Bulma!" the teenager gasped mockingly, "Just because I'm a parent doesn't mean I'm not allowed to date!"

"I didn't mean that kid," she replied with a sigh, "But for Kami's sake Gohan just how old is this woman? I don't think your mother would approve."

"She's nineteen for your information!" He scowled, as Vegeta erupted again, "Her son's about a month older than Gokuto. Kami Bulma, do you really think I'd go out with someone _that_ much older than me?"

"At this rate, I wouldn't put it past you kid."

"Hey!" yelled Gohan.

"I'm just saying Gohan," Bulma sighed, "Nothing surprises me about you anymore."

"I beg to differ," said the teen with a wicked smile.

"So this girl," Bulma pressed, "Is she your girlfriend?"

"Sort of," he admitted.

"Sort of?"

"Well yeah, we just kind of meet up at the club and then go back to hers, thats about it really," he informed her, picking up his fork and popping a sprout into his mouth.

"And they say romance is dead," said Bulma, shaking her head with a small smile.

"Bababababa"

"Yayayabayaya"

The three occupants at the table turned their attention to the floor, where Bulla and Gokuto were playing together on the rug, Trunks having long since gotten bored of the babies and having disappeared to the confines of his bedroom.

"Bababababa?" gurgled Bulla, patting Gokuto's tail.

The baby boy giggled from where he was propped up by a stack of pillows, "Yahyahyahyah."

"Aw, how cute," said Bulma, "I wonder what they're talking about."

Gohan couldn't help but laugh, as Bulla patted Gokuto on the head, causing him to topple backwards onto the pillows. But surprisingly the littlest saiyan didn't cry, he simply drooled, clapping his chubby hands together and swishing his tail about him.

Bulla was besotted by the furry appendage, making grabs for it when it came near her.

"Alright Bulla be careful now, Gokuto needs to build up strength in his tail before you go tugging on it," said Bulma, picking up her daughter and settling her on her knee.

Gokuto whimpered as his little friend disappeared from his line of sight, so Gohan quickly grabbed him and placed him on his lap so that he could see Bulla was still there.

"Speaking of training brat, how's it going?" Vegeta asked him, eyeing him skeptically.

"Really well actually, Goten's coming on in leaps and bounds," Gohan informed them, smirking, "Funny thing actually, did you know that Goten and Trunks can turn into super saiyan's now?"

"W-what?"

"Yup, full blown golden hair, green eyes, the whole shebang," he grinned wickedly, "anyway, I'd better get Gokuto to bed, big day of internship studying tomorrow! See you!"

With that, he was out the door and had taken off into the skies, only staying far enough behind to hear the exasperated shrieks of Vegeta.

"TRUNKS! Get down here boy! Now!"

Kami he loved being the element of surprise.


	20. Those Old Explosive Ways

**Chapter Nineteen**

 **Those Old Explosive Ways**

"We should get going, we're going to be late."

"Ugh just five more minutes…"

" _Move_ it Gohan," Eve chuckled, hitting him with a pillow, "Come on, Amos and Gokuto have slept in long enough as it is."

"Alright, alright, I'm up," he yawned, smirking as he caught sight of the naked girl in front of him.

Reaching towards her waist, he pulled her back into the warmth of the bed, "I'd much rather stay here though, can't we just skip one session?"

"No we can't," she giggled, as he kissed her several times on the neck, "I think Sandra is starting to get suspicious, I think that you actually have to be 'single' to be in the single mother's club."

"But I'm not a mother," he teased, lifting his head and wiggling his eyebrows, "Doesn't that make me an exception to the rules?"

"Trust me, I wish it did," Eve sighed longingly, "Now come on, if you get up now I promise you can come back here afterwards. I have all night free you know."

Gohan grinned, "I like the sound of that."

Leaving the warmth of Eve's flat to go to a coffee morning felt like a chore to the young saiyan, especially seen as they were now in the mist of September, autumn having come around all to quickly. A sharp cool breeze swept West City, the leaves having already fallen from the trees that lined the busy streets.

Still, Wednesday's were Gohan's favourite day of the week. A day in which he would have an excuse to spend the entire day with his girlfriend.

His mother disapproved of course, having heard of Gohan's 'older woman' from Bulma. The gang thought the whole thing was pretty scandalous, though the teenager failed to care, especially when he was in the midst of the throws of passion every Wednesday evening, and sometimes Tuesday's if he was lucky.

It was the only solace he had found amongst the mountain of coursework he had to do for his internship, and he hadn't even set eyes on a spaceship yet! Truth be told, Gohan had spent more time in the Capsule Corp. engineering bunker as a tea boy more than an intern, though Bulma promised him that he would be applying himself in the labs soon enough.

The young saiyan kicked off his shoes in the hallway as usual, before being greeted by the single mothers. He automatically unbuckled a squirming Gokuto from his pushchair and set them in a circle along with the rest of the group. After the initial greeting and passing around of other people's children were shared, Gohan placed Gokuto in the baby pen along with Amos, whilst he got himself a sugary coffee and sat chatting to the other mums.

"Tell me about it Deborah," the teen said to one of the mums, "Do you know just how hard it is to find nappies with holes in for his tail? I have to cut a hole out of every single one so that they fit!"

There was a murmur of agreement when suddenly one of the new members, Cassandra, gasped, "Oh my! Isn't that your son Gohan?"

Gohan turned, just in time to see little Amos give Gokuto an almighty smack across the face.

Gokuto was just as stunned as Gohan was, before his face turned bright red and hot tears sprang into his emerald eyes.

But before he could react, he caught sight of Eve standing near the playpen, who all but ruffled her son's hair, taking no notice to what he had just done.

Something stirred within the young saiyan that he couldn't quite put his finger on, a pang rippled across his chest as a sudden wave of irrational rage erupted in his stomach.

"Eve!" The young saiyan shouted, causing the whole room to stare as he stormed towards her, "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" she asked in bewilderment, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Did you not just see what your son did to Gokuto? He just walloped him in the face!" Gohan glowered, surprised as to her casual tone, the room suddenly plunged into silence.

"Oh I didn't see," she shrugged.

"He's crying!" he flapped, as the little boy began to whimper, terrified.

Eve rolled her eyes, "Oh Gohan he's always crying, you said it yourself."

"Not like that he doesn't," The halfling growled, he was furious!

Suddenly, to his alarm, Amos raised his chubby fist again. A big, malicious grin spread across his features as he punched Gokuto to the ground. Hard.

Gokuto screamed, causing the teenager's heart to race. He had never heard a scream like it, it wasn't like the baby's usual wail, it was high pitched and desperate, like a cry of pain.

A surge of an overwhelming need to protect overcame the young saiyan, rushing through his veins so intensely that he threw caution to the wind. He didn't care that he was halfway through a lovely motherly coffee morning in the middle of West City, nor did he care that the mother of the offending child was his girlfriend. All he knew that if this woman didn't get her kid away from _his_ son then there would be hell to pay.

His eyes flashed green, as Eve just stood there, not even bothering to scold her son for his actions.

"Oi! Leave him alone!" Gohan yelled at Amos, catching sight of the little cretin making a grab for Gokuto's tail.

The older baby jumped in fright at the teenager's angered tone, and immediately started to wail.

"Don't you shout at him!" Eve roared, squaring up to him, "Who the hell to you think you are?!"

"I think you'll find I'm the _father_ of the kid who your kid just smacked to the bloody ground!" Gohan bellowed, ready to take her down.

"Please, you two," Sandra called tentatively, "This is supposed to be a relaxing coffee morning -!"

"Shut it Sandra!" yelled the teens.

"What gives you the right?! Amos is only playing!" Eve shouted angrily, her grey eyes wild.

"Bullshit!" Gohan spat back, "He hurt Gokuto! And if you can't see that then maybe you should go back to university to learn about parenting!"

"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean-?!"

 **BOOM**

She was interrupted by a blinding flash of golden light that illuminated the entire room, causing it's occupants to gasp and squawk at the sudden quake that shook the community centre.

When the light had cleared, there was only one baby crying - and it wasn't Gokuto.

It appeared the quarter saiyan had indeed been the cause of such of an explosion, sat in the middle of the play pen with the carpets completely burned to a crisp around him. His emerald eyes were full of hot, angry tears as he positively glared at the baby that he had fired across the room.

Luckily, Sandra had managed to catch Amos in the fray, and the boy was thankfully free of any injury apart from a couple of singed eyebrows.

Before Gohan could even contemplate what had transpired, he snatched Gokuto out of the playpen and bolted towards the door, aghast and horrified shouts following him. Capsuling the pushchair and grabbing his shoes, the young saiyan hurtled outside, where he could get a good look at the baby boy in the daylight.

The teenager inhaled a sharp intake of breath.

Blood.

Blood trickled out of the tiniest graze on Gokuto's cheek.

He was hurt.

His baby was hurt!

"Oh my Kami, oh my Kami! Oh my Kami!" Gohan panicked, hoping from one foot to the other before the adrenaline kicked in and he kicked off from the ground, firing the both of them towards The Lookout.

The teenager had never flown so fast in his entire life, hitting the marble tiles running as soon as the sanctuary came into view.

"DENDE!" Gohan bellowed as he held onto Gokuto tightly, clutching him to his chest, "DENDE! I NEED YOU! SOMETHING'S HAPPENED!"

"What is it Gohan?!" puffed the young Namekian as he hurried out of the temple, Piccolo and Mister Popo in tow.

"It's Gokuto! He's hurt!" The young saiyan shrieked, causing his friend's eyes to widen in horror.

"Oh goodness, let me see, let me -," Dende stopped short, giving the halfling a deadpan look.

"It's just a scratch Gohan."

"Just a scratch?!" The teen scoffed, astounded that his friend didn't understand the utter urgency of the situation, "He's _bleeding_ Dende! Heal him for Kami's sake!"

The little boy whimpered softly, his tears dropping onto Gohan's shirt.

"It's alright 'Kuto," he whispered into his hair, "It's alright, Daddy's got you, Daddy's got you."

"Alright, alright, no need to be so pushy," huffed the young Namekian, reaching out a healing hand over the small scratch on the baby boy's check.

A slight burst of light later, and the cut had gone, Mister Popo had even brought over a wash cloth to wipe the trickle of blood from his face.

"Phew," Gohan breathed heavily, his heart beat returning to its normal rate as the baby boy giggled at Mister Popo's touch, "You gave me quite the scare there kiddo, you alright?"

"Babababa?"

"Good."

"Gohan," Piccolo started, "You nearly gave me a heart attack! What the hell happened? I thought it was something more serious than a scratch judging by how much your Ki was fluctuating."

The teenager sighed, and proceeded to tell the occupants of The Lookout about Gokuto's little explosion at the single mother's club. To Gohan's surprise and annoyance, his Namekian friends found the entire thing utterly amusing. Even Mister Popo had a little chuckle.

"Shut up! It's not funny!" he said hotly, as Dende and Piccolo roared with laughter.

"I can never go back there, he nearly blew a hole in the floor! Not to mention that he _ruined_ my evening with Eve, and any subsequent evenings for that matter. Thank you very much," Gohan finished, glaring at the boy who reached up his arms and touched his face in a loving manner.

"Babababa."

"I'm sure he didn't mean to Gohan," Dende chuckled.

"Speak for yourself, this kid gets me into more trouble than I get myself," Gohan sighed, sitting the boy in between his legs and allowing him to play with his tail.

Out the corner of his eye, he noticed Piccolo giving him an odd look.

"What?"

"Nothing," his mentor stated, "It's just…"

"Just?" The teenager pressed.

"He's only a baby," he frowned, "That's a hell of a lot of power for someone his age."

"Well he is a saiyan I suppose," said Gohan with a roll of his eyes, "Goten and Trunks turned super saiyan the other day just by playing in the bloody woods."

Piccolo's eyes widened, "W-what?"

"I know right?!" he exclaimed, "Veggie's fuming, you should have seen the look on his face!"

 **xxxx**

If one were to take a stroll up the treacherous mountain path of Mount Paozu, then they would be met with a rather peculiar sight. Were anyone to look up towards the skies on that Saturday afternoon in particular, then they would be sure to find two dancing auras of golden light encircling the clouds, dipping high and low to avoid colliding with each other.

No one could guess that it was just the Son boys out for a days training.

"Come at me Goten, give me all you've got!" Gohan cried from high above his brother, his golden hair and brown tail whipping around behind him.

"Aaaaargh!" Goten bellowed, hurtling towards the older halfling, drawing back a fist in and aiming a heavy hit towards his face.

Yet Gohan was quick to deflect the attack. Parrying his brother's arm, the teen saiyan launched himself forwards, sending a barrage of punches back his way.

Goten phased in and out to avoid the impact, his super saiyan speed quick, but indeed no match for his elder's.

"HA!" The teenager roared, phasing out and delivering a spinning kick to his brother's abdomen.

Goten was fired backwards through the air, yet quickly managed to catch himself in midair. Igniting his aura as he powered up, the younger boy hurtled back towards his sibling, careening through the air and delivering a blow that almost knocked the older hybrid out of the air.

"Woah!" Gohan yelped, rubbing his skull where his brother had struck him, "Stop Goten, stop!"

"Aw," the young boy whined, powering out of his transformation, Gohan following suit, "Do we have to stop now?"

"Yeah, I think Mum will have lunch ready for us soon, and we don't want Gokuto getting hungry do we?" he asked with a small smile, "Bloody hell, that was one whopper of a punch Goten, I don't know if I'm getting worse or you're improving, either way I should have seen that hit coming!"

"Don't worry Gohan, you can try to get me back after food! I'm starving!" Goten exclaimed happily, floating towards the distance of home.

The teenager couldn't help but snort, giving a wide stretch as he looked out towards the horizon, his tail waving about behind him, "Yeah, yeah."

The sun was beginning to set even earlier as the winter months crept upon them, Gokuto was getting bigger with every passing day, and -

 **BOOM**

"Goten!" Gohan roared, narrowly avoiding a hot Ki blast that connected with a nearby tree, incinerating it in seconds, " _What_ did I say about Ki blasts? Not until you've learned to control them! And it's wrong to attack someone when their back is turned, you could have hit me!"

"But Gohan, I didn't do it!" Goten protested, floating back towards him.

"Oh really now," huffed the young saiyan, folding his arms across his chest, "then who did?"

"Boooo! Booooooo! Bababa!" came a excitable squeal from below them.

Gohan exchanged a startled look with his brother, who was staring with his jaw hanging open at the little saiyan sat in his bouncer below.

Gokuto couldn't have unleashed that blast, could he?

After that, the Son family and Z-Fighter's soon got used to Gokuto's explosive ways. From throwing blasts into Gohan and Goten's fray to blowing up his first birthday cake, it soon became the norm to expect a few minor earthquakes when around the littlest saiyan.

No one knew why or how his power had come to be so erratic and powerful, though Bulma theorised that it was the age old mystery of saiyan hybrids. Just like Gohan's, the mix of saiyan and human blood was a peculiar notion to comprehend when it came to hidden strengths.

Time moved forward and showed no signs of stopping. Gokuto was now fourteen months old, had said his first word and was walking without much help. Goten and Trunks were growing in power, and Gohan had even enjoyed a few sparring sessions with both of them. Vegeta and Piccolo had subjected to training for the World Tournament in private, though the rest of the Z-Fighter's had stopped by the mountains for a friendly sparring session now and again. Gohan was in the mist of his internship, and was the top of his class. It was a bit awkward, what with Iris being the year above him, though he didn't pay her much mind and had even been on a few dates with other students and employees that he got on with well.

Soon, people had stopped asking questions as to the whereabouts of The Gold Fighter, as crime rates remained low across the major cities. It appeared as though Videl was doing a good enough job in Satan City without him.

That was however, until a sunny Saturday afternoon a week before Gohan's seventeenth birthday.

The young saiyan was busy tending to a greedy Gokuto, who was currently sat in his high chair, devouring the mountain of mashed potato, carrots and gravy that he was doing a rather good job of getting all over himself. Goten was eating his own lunch on the sofa next to them, transfixed by his cartoons that blasted loudly over the living room.

"Goten will you turn that down?" The teenager pleaded, attempting to wipe Gokuto's messy face, "'Kuto, sit still! Ugh, you've got gravy all in your tail hair, how have you managed that?"

"Dada! Dada!" Gokuto bellowed happily, waving his spoon triumphantly in the air.

"Yes, Dada," Gohan chuckled, successfully wiping the child's mouth that he knew would only get sticky seconds later, "you are a messy boy."

"Mama?"

"We'll go see Mummy later alright?" the teen cooed affectionately, "You need to finish your dinner first."

"Dada!"

 _"We interrupt this broadcast for a breaking news report."_

"Aw! I wanted to see what happened to Tom and Jerry!" Goten pouted, as the image of a reporter hiding behind what looked like some sort of barricade cut across the screen.

Carnage, was the first thing that Gohan noticed. Torrents of smoke filtered from the building's behind the distraught reporter, owing to the fact that some kind of explosion had just happened. Screams echoed around the city streets, the cameraman was shaking, zooming in clumsily on people that were running away or lying face down on the ground, unmoving.

" _James West here, reporting to you live from Satan City,"_ The reporter puffed heavily as the camera came to rest, _"Mere moments ago, an explosion rocked the city, caused by an unknown force. The number of injured and dead are yet to be counted, though it is thought to be near a hundred…. wait, I'm getting some new information, yes, police have confirmed that a heavily armed gang are destroying the city, their motive is not yet clear - AHHHH!"_

The reporter screamed in terror as a white hot beam shot over his head, an explosion sounding somewhere in the distance, causing the cameraman to shout as he almost dropped to the floor from the impact of the blast.

Gohan frowned, as the supposed gang emerged from behind a destroyed building. There were four of them in total, every one of the the brute's had crazed eyes that bulged out of their skulls, and great hulking muscles that protruded from their tight clothing. They had matching tattoo's that stood out in the middle of their foreheads, which looked remarkably stupid in his opinion.

Yet what struck him was that the reporter had spoke of them being heavily armed, yet there was no weaponry in sight.

Siren's were heard, and soon the gang were surrounded by police officers that aimed their guns towards them. It seemed they were not wasting any time in taking the brutes down.

 _"Oh my goodness! Here they are! Police have them surrounded!"_ The reporter cried, as one of the gang member's laughed maliciously.

" _Your guns won't work against us!"_ he salivated, aiming a palm towards one of the police cars, _"We are Gods walking amongst men, nothing can compare to our power!"_

Then, to Gohan's surprise and utter horror, a white hot beam of energy shot out of his raised hand and connected with the bonnet. Amber and orange light engulfed the scene as the car erupted into flames, sending the officers retreating backwards to the barricades. The brutish group howled with sickening, manic laughter as the remains of the car crackled and burned.

The teenager was shocked, he knew that there were other martial artists out there that were practiced in the art of Ki like Tao the mercenary. Even Mister Lao could sense life energy.

However, the young saiyan had never seen anything like this particular group before, they looked more like body builders than martial artists.

"Gohan! Help them!" Goten yelled suddenly, as the gang began to fire more blasts into the terrified crowd.

The teenager bit his lip, "Goten, I told you I don't do that anymore…"

 _"Oi! Leave them alone you bastards!"_ came a desperate shout from the television set.

Videl.

The head strong girl stood in the centre of the raging fires, her bright sapphire eyes fixated on the gang. She was dressed in her usual attire of black spandex shorts, boots and long white t-shirt that fluttered in the gust created by the roaring flames. The Satan girl's features were hardened, her stance strong in front of the group that merely grinned with malice at the sight of her.

 _"Well well well, it's Satan's daughter,"_ another one of the brutes chortled, _"I reckon if we kill the city's golden girl then they'll take us more seriously, don't you think?"_

There was a murmur of agreement before Videl spoke, " _I don't think anyone will take you seriously with those oversized muscles and that stupid tattoo on your head."_

 _"You little-!"_ he spat, before his lips drew into a wicked smirk, _"What you're looking at here, little girl, is pure power, something that neither you or your idiot father could even begin understand!"_

Gohan winced, they had pushed the father button, that wasn't good.

Videl glared, and as the young saiyan predicted, took a running leap towards the hulking man. She roared, delivering a spinning kick to the brute's skull - but she stopped short.

" _W-what?"_ she gasped, as her blow didn't connect, instead, the man had a firm grip of her ankle that he used as momentum to fling the young girl through the air where she landed in a heap upon the hard ground.

"Gohan!" he heard Goten yell, but he was too fixated on the fight at hand.

Videl gathered herself, clambering up to face them once more. She sprang towards them viciously, but each blow was either dodged or blocked - she couldn't get near them.

 _"Oh this is terrible!"_ James the reporter cried, _"Videl is loosing! Oh what will become of our city?! What will become of us - of me?! Oh dear, where is The Gold Fighter when you need him? If you can hear this Gold Fighter, please, save us!"_

"GOHAN!"

The young saiyan turned towards his brother, who was giving him a hardened stare, angry tears shining in his eyes.

"Oh alright!" he barked, rolling his eyes and getting up from his seat, "I'm going, I'm going!"

"Yes! Gohan's going to be a hero again!" Goten exclaimed, punching the air with his fist.

"Dada! Dada!" Gokuto joined in, although confused as to the sudden shouting.

The teenager knew he had to act fast, as judging by the strange power he could feel emanating from the gang, Videl was sure not to last much longer.

They were strong yes, but not as strong as he.

Cursing himself that he had destroyed his watch, Gohan tore through his wardrobe to find the outfit of his alter ego and pulled it on as quick as he possibly could. Bidding a short goodbye to Goten and Gokuto, and instructing Goten to keep an eye on him before their mother returned from shopping, the young saiyan shot into the sky and hurtled through the air like a speeding bullet towards Satan City.

Powering up into his super saiyan form on the way and causing a sonic boom to echo over the mountains, Gohan powered up a little further than usual. He was certain that he had only seen but a snippet of what this so called gang could do.

"Cor blimey! I don't believe it! It's The Gold Fighter!" came a shout from the barricades as he swooped overhead.

It seemed the mysterious gang hadn't noticed the golden glowing boy above, as it came as a surprise to them when the teenager suddenly dropped kicked the man who stood glowering over a bruised and bloodied Videl.

The brute was fired into a nearby building that collapsed on impact, dust rising from the fallen debris.

There was a moment of silence, before the crowd surrounding them erupted into cheers.

"I knew he wouldn't leave us!"

"Gold Fighter you're the greatest!"

"Three cheers for The Gold Fighter! Hip hip -!"

"WHERE THE BLOODY HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Videl roared, as the young saiyan helped her gingerly to her feet.

She was a lot more resilient than he had initially thought, and apart from a bloodied lip and a few bruises, she was miraculously doing fine.

"Are you alright?" Gohan asked, avoiding the question.

"Of course I'm alright!" she snapped, "Now are you going to tell me where you've been for the past _year_?"

"I've been busy…"

"Really now?" Videl huffed, "Because you didn't seem busy when you decided to go after Borbonne all on your own!"

"That doesn't matter right now," he pressed, not wanting to get into _that one_ any time soon, "What's the situation?"

"Four blokes and a fuck ton of muscle," she replied, folding her arms across her chest, "I don't know what's going on, I can't seem to land a single hit!"

"Oi! If it's alright with you I'd like to put a stop to this lovers tiff," a ginger haired gang member growled, smirking at the sight of the young saiyan.

It was odd, they weren't like any other thugs he had dealt with in the past, this man was in particular was well spoken. He was shirtless, yet wore smart trousers that covered his great hulking leg muscles. Their Ki was strange, it didn't seem natural, as if the energy was being poured into them from another source.

It confused the teenager to no end.

"Well if it isn't The Gold Fighter," the brute continued, "you've come out of hiding just for us, I must say that I'm honoured."

"You won't be feeling so honoured after I'm through with you," glowered Gohan, "Just what the hell is your problem, why did you hurt all those innocent people?"

"Let's just say I've been given a gift boy," the man practically drooled, "A gift only known to God's, and with this power no one will be able to stand in my way, not even you!"

"Let's see about that shall we?" the young saiyan seethed, lowering himself into fighting stance.

To his surprise, the brute's expression did not waver, "Haha! Fighting me is futile, you will be destroyed in an instant! Why don't you just surrender now? Join us Gold Fighter, my master could use a power like yours."

"Spoken like a true coward," Videl spat, lowering herself into her stance next to Gohan, "Why don't we make a deal? We beat you, and you tell us who this 'master' is of yours, so we can arrest him too."

"And if I win?" he asked, breathing heavily with anticipation.

"Don't get too cocky big guy," she smirked, before letting out a yell of rage and sprinting towards the brute.

"Videl wait!" Gohan yelled, as the girl's punch was easily parried and she was knocked flying backwards into him.

"Get off!" she growled, frustrated as she brushed his hands off her, "I've got this one, you concentrate on getting the rest!"

With the words 'be careful' lingering on the tip of his tongue, the girl was off again, attacking her opponent with impressive gusto.

Knowing his words of wisdom would be lost on her, the young saiyan turned to face his own opposition, whose comrade had surprisingly picked himself out of the rubble Gohan had left him seemingly unconscious in.

He would have to work quickly in order to help Videl out. Kami he wished she wasn't so stubborn.

"Ready to die Gold Fighter?" the dust covered brute called.

Gohan smirked, "Catch me if you can."

 **BOOM**

The young saiyan phased out so quickly that not one of them had time to react until his fist had embedded itself into the largest man's gut.

Blood and saliva flew from his mouth as he stumbled backwards, wheezing as the air was promptly forced out of his lungs.

Yet Gohan's triumphant grin slipped off his face, when the thug simply smiled back at him.

"What the-?" The teenager started, as the beastly male retaliated, and he was knocked off his feet by a sharp punch to the chest. Gohan skidded to a halt, shocked as to how anyone but the Z-Fighters could land a hit on him.

"Oh, it's on now," said Gohan, hurtling forwards and delivering an uppercut to the brutes chin.

The other two soon jumped in the fray, and the young saiyan soon found himself ducking out of the way of what could have been critical hits were he not half-saiyan. He couldn't understand why these pillocks were giving him such a hard time, he was The Gold Fighter for crying out loud!

But if there was one thing for certain, these brutes were not going down without a fight, and if he were to let them live… well, they could do a lot of damage to humanity.

Kami knows how many lives they had already taken in their rampage across the city.

"Masenko-HAAA!" Gohan roared, unleashing a mighty blast into a gang members face as soon as he leaped upon him. The familiar scent of burning flesh filled his nostrils as the charcoaled remains of the man crumpled to the ground.

With his life energy extinguished, he was dead.

The remaining two took a step back at the sight of their deceased comrade, the smoke clearing to reveal Gohan's golden aura pulsating around him.

"Y-you killed him!" one of the pair gasped.

"What's wrong?" asked the young saiyan, "Didn't think I had it in me? Well as you can see your sorely mistaken."

"You're a monster!"

"Get a hold of yourself Felix," the other man growled, "We have a job to do."

Gohan snorted, "Yeah Felix, pot, kettle, black much?"

"Quiet you!" the other man roared.

"I don't think you're in any position to be barking out orders," the young saiyan coaxed, "It doesn't matter how powerful you think you are, you evil doers are all the same. You hurt and murder those weaker than you just because you can, and get all sensitive about it when someone like me comes along to stop you."

"I've had enough of your mouth kid!" he roared, hurling himself towards the halfling with an almighty battle cry. Anticipating the hit, Gohan powered up so that his aura created a barrier that made the brute feel as though his fist was connecting with solid steel.

He was stopped in his tracks, but remained unwounded, his teeth bared in anger at the young saiyan before him.

"Huh, you know I actually have a bit of respect for you," said Gohan, recognising him as the resilient man that he had initially drop kicked into the building when he had first arrived, "That's why I'll kill you last."

Knocking him to the floor with a sharp gust of Ki, the teenager phased out, appearing before a quivering Felix who crumpled to the ground as soon as Gohan connected his elbow with his neck, breaking it on impact.

As Felix let out his final breath, a shriek of pain reached the young saiyan's ears.

He turned, his eyes widening in horror as he caught sight of the ginger haired brute grasping Videl in a choke hold. Her eyes had begun to bulge out of their sockets as she struggled to break free, her legs kicking in all directions as she was forcibly lifted off the floor.

The teenager swore under his breath, turning to smile apologetically at the muscled man next to him.

"Sorry, I lied," said Gohan, causing the man's eyes to widen before the young saiyan blasted him apart with a golden beam.

In a flash, he appeared behind the last remaining gang member, delivering a hammer fist to the skull, causing him to abruptly release Videl.

She was in bad shape, her t-shirt singed and torn in places, her nose and mouth bloodied and a nasty looking bruise across her collarbone from where the brute had held her.

Fury bubbled in the pit of Gohan's stomach as he stared the ginger haired man down, who had swiftly recovered from the teenager's blow.

"T-Thanks," Videl panted, struggling to stand.

"Get to the barricades Videl," said Gohan, "Now."

"B-but where are-?"

"Dead," he stated simply, the girl's eyes widening at the revelation.

"I said go Videl," he repeated, though stubborn as ever, she merely stood back a few feet, gingerly grasping onto her injured throat.

"How touching," the ginger haired thug chuckled, "The girl continues to stick by your side, it's sad really, she doesn't realise she is outclassed."

Videl's sapphire eyes shined with angry tears, yet she refused to let them fall.

"Cut the shit," Gohan spat, "I'll give you ten seconds to tell me why you killed those people before you die."

He laughed, loud and obnoxious laughter that cut through the air like a knife, "You cannot kill me! I am invincible!"

"What just like your mates over there?…and there?… and there…?" the teenager snorted, pointing to the remains of his comrades.

"It's a shame my colleagues could not match up to my power," he continued, "But no matter, there will be others. I will make Areo-corp. great again!"

"Areo-corp?" Gohan blinked, "What the hell has Areo-corp got to do with anything?"

"Everything of course my dear boy," he chuckled darkly, "The CEO of the company has to look after his own after all to ensure his company rises to greatness."

It was as though a light bulb had gone off in the teenager's head. It couldn't be. But it was, Gohan recognised the ginger hair and the once kind eyes all too well. It was one of Bulma's business associates from the charity ball that he had met over a year ago.

"Jeremy Smithers?" Gohan spoke dumbly, causing the man to roar with laughter. Who had done this to him?

"I see! You recognise me do you boy?" Jeremy howled, "Good, good! I had hoped my body was not too deformed for the good of the company!"

"The good of the-?" the teenager spluttered, gesturing to the wreckage around him, "How can any of _this_ be good for your company?!"

"My competitors were getting stronger you see, their companies more successful than mine," Jeremy explained, panting heavily as he relayed his story, "There was no way I could compete without some kind of genius on my team, and It was clear that Capsule Corp. had already swiped that away from me with Bulma's new little protégée she's got mulling around in her labs. But still, I had to find a way to stifle one of the big companies, naturally, Mechacorp was first on my list after I had been offered this new found power."

"You murdered Stanley Coyne!" Videl gasped.

"That's right girl," said Jeremy with a wicked smirk, "With the Borbonne family the prime suspects there was no way someone like a rival company would be investigated. Of course, I needed more strength to take down somewhere like Capsule Corp. Bulma's martial artist husband looks like he would prove quite the challenge."

Gohan growled, "There's no way I'm going to let you lay a hand on Bulma, or her company."

"Ah ha, so old Stanley was right, Bulma _is_ in cahoots with The Gold Fighter," he grinned with malice.

"So why Satan City?" asked the teen, attempting to drive the subject away from Bulma, "Why attack here?"

"Attack?" Jeremy gasped in mock horror, "Oh no dear boy! We were just making space for my new business complex. These weaklings simply got in my way, and I'll be damned if my plans become thwarted by a couple of kids."

"You evil bastard!" Videl cried, launching herself towards him before Gohan could grab her back. Her punch connected with the brute's chin, though it failed to cause any sort of damage.

"Videl watch out!" Gohan yelled, as Jeremy smirked down at the girl, backhanding her across the face so that she careened through the air, landing in a heap on the ground.

"VIDEL!" The teenager roared, sprinting towards her as she groaned in pain.

"Say goodbye Miss Satan!" Jeremy scorned, firing a blast at the girl's crumpled form.

"Oh no you don't!" The young saiyan cried, his golden aura sparking around him as he stopped the energy ball in it's tracks.

The Ki was hot underneath his palms, yet he pushed it forwards, blocking it's path just before it connected with Videl. The girl gasped at the young super saiyan before her, the golden glow of his aura shining in her eyes.

"No! No it can't be!" Jeremy yelled, not expecting Gohan to over power his attack.

"Sorry Jeremy," Gohan called over the roar of the blast, "Looks like you'll be handing in your resignation - MASENKO-HAAAAAAA!"

The teenager's yells mingled with Jeremy's screams as the combined Masenko blast ripped through the man's skin and bone, disintegrating his body until nothing but ash remained.

The city was silent, as the light died down, the crowd behind the barricades clearly shaken. Gohan breathed a sigh of relief, that was until he remembered something very important.

"Videl! Oh my Videl are you alright?" came the sergeant's desperate plea.

The young saiyan turned towards the injured girl, who was covered in dirt due to the impact of the explosion. She clambered to her feet, swaying heavily on the spot until Gohan raced forwards to steady her by the hand.

"I'm fine Sarge, thanks," she said, leaning into Gohan's shoulder for support, "I just want to go home."

"We can arrange a car for you Miss Videl," the sergeant said hurriedly, looking towards the destroyed police cars, "Just as soon as we can get one over to us… er…"

"I can take her home sir," offered Gohan, before turning to the injured girl, "If that's alright with you?"

Videl hesitated for a moment, before slowly nodding her head.

"You're sure Videl?" asked the sergeant, sighing as she nodded again in confirmation, "Well alright, er, good work Gold Fighter. Pleasure to see you again."

"Likewise," said the young saiyan, "Although I wish it could have been in different circumstances."

"Right you are," he replied, turning to his officers, "Alright then you lot, let's start clearing away this mess, we need to get these roads back open before rush hour, ambulances are on the way."

"Make sure she gets home safe son, you here me?" he added, as Videl allowed Gohan to scoop her up in his arms.

The teenager's heart fluttered a little as he held the girl close to his chest ready for flight. Gohan smiled, giving the sergeant a short solute before lifting into the air and heading for Hercule Satan's mansion.


	21. The Devil's Daughter

_Hi everyone! I'm rather sick at the mo, so feel like smashing out a few more chapters. Thank you for your amazing support as always! Xxx_

 **Chapter Twenty**

 **The Devil's Daughter**

 **xxxx**

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Gohan said sincerely as they landed upon Videl's balcony.

The sun was beginning to set beyond the backdrop of Satan City, the birds that hadn't already fled the destruction could be heard chirping away in the distance. There was a glowing red and amber hue left over from the fires that had raged within the city centre, though the clouds of smoke had started to dissipate into the dusky air.

Videl said nothing as she clambered down from his strong arms. She swayed slightly, leaning on the balcony for support.

"Here," the young saiyan said softly, pulling out a senzu bean from underneath his armour, "eat this, it'll make you feel better."

The girl eyed him sceptically, "What is it?"

"It's called a senzu bean, it has healing properties," he explained, offering it out to her, "Go on, eat it, it's my last one, I only really carry them for emergencies."

She gave him a dumfounded look, which caused the halfling to smirk a little.

"What, don't you trust me?"

To his relief surprise, she took the bean, though a little hesitantly, and popped it into her mouth. She winced at the bitter taste as she chewed, yet seconds after she swallowed her eyes widened, and Gohan immediately felt her Ki restore to full health.

"H-how is that even possible?" she gaped, clenching and relaxing her fists in front of her, "Do I even want to know where you got these from? Are they drugs?"

"No they aren't drugs," Gohan chuckled, "They're rare though so you probably haven't heard of them before. Don't worry about it, I'll explain another time, I think you've had enough shock for one day."

"You're telling me," she huffed, "I thought you were never going to show up."

"Hey, I got there eventually didn't I?" he jested.

"Took you long enough," she scoffed, rolling her eyes before she fell silent again.

Gohan blinked, something was off, and he couldn't help but press her.

"Videl, is something wrong?"

He was taken aback when she turned to look at him, tears shining in her eyes.

"This is all your fault!" she yelled suddenly.

"W-what?" he asked, astounded, "What's my fault?"

"Everything!" she cried, allowing her tears to fall, "Everything was going fine before you showed up! I thought I could handle the city all on my own and then you swoop in with your stupid flying and your light beams and Ki rubbish and-and…"

She stopped suddenly, turning away from him, "How can I compete?"

"Compete?" The young saiyan stared, "You don't have to compete with anyone!"

"You wouldn't understand!" she yelled abruptly, "How could you? You think that all of this is just some big joke! My entire _life_ is about fighting and getting stronger. I thought there was no one out there as strong as my dad, he beat Cell for Kami's sake! And then you came, doing the things you do just like in the old tournaments, Dad said they were nothing but stupid tricks but I know they're not! Not when I see what you can do, I saw how much you hurt Borbonne - a little excessive yes, but I understand how he rips families apart, I've heard all that. But you, out there today, I've seen what you can _really_ do and how you've done more than I could ever imagine!"

"Videl…"

"No!" she shouted, tears pouring down her face, "Don't pity me! Don't you dare!"

Gohan remained silent, staring at the girl who hurriedly wiped her tears away. There was so much he wanted to explain, why he had to do the things he did, but something was stopping him. He couldn't put his finger on it, though for some reason he didn't want her to run from him, he didn't want to stand alone on that balcony.

Taking a deep breath, she sighed, leaning over the balcony and looking towards the sunset, "And now there's villains that can do the same thing. How can I protect the city like my dad protected the world? I can't follow in his footsteps. I'm too weak."

"Videl, look at me," Gohan urged forcibly, grasping the girl by the shoulders and looking intently into her eyes, "You are the strongest girl I know, and trust me, that is saying a lot."

"Oh come off it, you're just saying that," she sniffed, attempting to pull away from him, but the young saiyan didn't let go.

"It's true!" He said honestly, "I've never met anyone as determined as you. The way you just kept going at that bloke even though you were hurt! You didn't care! You would have done anything to take him down, just like me, I had to stop them no matter what the cost, you understand that don't you?"

Slowly, she nodded, her eyes softening at his words.

"You protect people Videl, you don't care about the consequences to yourself, and that is the makings of a true hero," he continues, "You don't need light beams and fancy moves to prove that you have a good heart."

"R-really?" she asked, staring up at him.

"Really," he smiled, "Honestly, I was scared just watching you, I'm surprised the poor bloke didn't shit his pants when he saw you heading for him the way you did! I know I would have legged it!"

Videl laughed, tipping her head back and slapping him across the arm, "You're full of it."

"Maybe I am," he grinned.

It took him a moment to realise that the girl was giving him an odd look, before the wind was almost knocked out of him as she wrapped her arms around his middle.

Gohan blinked in surprise, awkwardly hugging her back, attempting not to take too much notice of the way she nestled perfectly in his arms so that he could rest his chin on her head.

"Thank you," she whispered, her cheeks tinged a brilliant shade of pink.

The first stars began to twinkle above them, casting shadows in her sapphire eyes as she looked up to him. A wistful summer breeze passed between them, lifting up Gohan's cloak so that it ruffled in the wind. The sound of the distance birds had long gone, replaced by the chirp of several crickets from the bushes in the grounds of Satan Manor.

The young saiyan wasn't entirely sure what made him do it. Perhaps it was something to do with the intensity of her gaze or the marvelling way she felt pressed against him, but the next thing he knew, he had swooped his head lower and brought his lips down to meet hers.

Videl all but let out a muffled gasp, and it took a few seconds for her to start kissing him back. Gohan's heart soared, his stomach performing summersaults as she pulled him closer to her, entangling her fingers in his long golden hair.

The Gold Fighter was kissing Videl Satan.

It was insane, Gohan thought, insane, wild, ridiculous and yet somehow… right?

After what seemed like an age, the two teenager's pulled apart, gasping for air as they stared, wide eyed at each other. Their cheeks where flushed, panting, as a stunned silence engulfed them.

"S-sorry, I-" Gohan started, but was shortly cut off by Videl's lips crashing into his once more.

The young saiyan groaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms so fiercely around her that he lifted her feet off of the ground. He couldn't think straight, his mind was beginning to cloud with uninvited lust.

All he could think about was the way she felt, how her soft hands roamed his muscled torso and the way her long raven pigtails tickled the bare skin on his neck.

Before Gohan knew it, they had pushed their way through to her bedroom, Videl straddling his waist as he walked them over to the bed, their lips still locked together furiously.

The young saiyan creaked open an eyelid, and couldn't help but think that Videl wasn't joking when she said her life was all about fighting, as martial arts posters and paraphernalia filled her pristine bedroom. White wooden furniture, including a wardrobe and vanity table lined the walls, the bedroom had wooden floorboards and silk sheets upon the ready made, four poster bed that the teenagers tumbled upon.

Panting heavily, the young saiyan silently thanked Kami that the skies were steadily growing darker outside so that Videl could barely see him in the dim light. Lifting up his head to take off the top half of his uniform, Gohan caught a glimpse of the bedside cabinet that displayed a picture of a much younger Videl being hoisted up onto the shoulders of a beaming Mister Satan.

With a quick Ki check, he found the Champ's energy pulsating from somewhere in Central City. But he didn't have time to thank his lucky stars again, as Videl suddenly flipped him over, kissing him all the more passionately than he had been kissed in his life.

The teenager's eyebrows shot to his hairline as she deepened the kiss. But there was no way he was going to be subjected to the Satan girl's onslaught.

Videl gasped, as he literally tore her shirt from her bosom before throwing it to the wayside. He smirked cheekily up at her, though, his heart was pounding at the sight of her incredible physique that was no doubt due to her years of training.

He leaned up and kissed her again, causing her to fall to his chest as he rolled her back onto the bed. He wasted no time in removing the rest of her clothes, scrambling up quickly to take off his bottoms and boots, though he wisely left the visor over his eyes and kept his tail well hidden behind his back.

She stared at him in the dim light of the starlight as he scooted next to her on the bed, her eyes were penetrating, dazzling as she continued to stare. He wondered if she was going to question the mask, though she did nothing but bite her lip nervously, looking down at her own, beautifully exposed body.

He blinked in the realisation that she had most likely never done this before, but before he could ask her if she wanted to continue, she held out her hand, gesturing him to come forwards.

Videl had a hard, blazing look in her eyes, causing his breath to catch in his throat like cotton.

Without any further hesitation, Gohan slipped his hand into hers and lost himself in those sapphire orbs.

 **xxxx**

Gohan had always liked going to the park, although his visits as a child were very few and far between. It wasn't always a necessity for him growing up, as unlike city kids, he had full rein of the vast woodland and mountains near his home. Still, he had always enjoyed the slides and swings, the monkey bars being his particular favourite.

So when his mother had suggested he take Goten and Gokuto to a park, he had readily obliged, and was rather looking forward to it. Goten, as wild and destructive as he could be hadn't been in to one in ages, seen as only Gohan took him when he was a little younger.

Gokuto had only really ever been out in his pram on trips to Chazke Village and around West City, so the young saiyan was excited to introduce the boy to one now he was a little older.

Yet the teenager's excitement had steadily worn thin, when Bulma had learned of their little excursion.

The blue haired heiress had wanted Gokuto's first trip to the park to be a special one, and suggested they go to the large arboretum in the middle of West City. Bulma had insisted that Trunks and Bulla go along too, which Gohan didn't mind. Although when she had announced that she had a lot of work to catch up on, she had forced Vegeta to accompany them in her place.

Now, Trunks and Bulla he could handle. The dozens of screaming children in the play area; certainly, the long queues to the ice-cream stand and the toilets; just about. But all this and a moody Vegeta? The young saiyan wasn't so sure.

"Stop dawdling brat, I haven't got all day."

Gohan rolled his eyes from where he was squatting next to Gokuto's buggy, throwing another chunk of bread into the large pond.

"Oh come on V, Gokuto just wants to feed the ducks, he hasn't seen any before! Huh? Isn't that right 'Kuto?" he cooed, "Can you see the duck? Say quack!"

Vegeta scoffed at his display, as the baby boy in question squealed in delight, clapping his hands together enthusiastically.

Gohan grinned, Gokuto was getting much bigger and becoming his own little person. His messy black hair now sat high atop his head, his freckles had darkened slightly around his cheeks and his long tail swished around happily behind him. He had grown out of many of his hand me downs from Goten, and was currently sporting a pair of banana yellow overalls which he was already beginning to bulge out of.

Gokuto's buggy had a small summer umbrella attached to the top of it, keeping the boy safely tucked away from the heat of the September sun. Autumn had not yet befallen the West just yet, at the neat trees lining the enormous park held onto their lush green leaves.

The teen saiyan had struggled not to make contact with Videl after the night they had spent together. He felt guilty, as he had waited until she had fallen to sleep before he had snuck out that very same night. She would have no doubt have been furious with him.

He was more than a little confused about his feelings towards the girl, as he hadn't felt anything like that in a long time.

But they were The Gold Fighter and Videl Satan for crying out loud, they just didn't feel about each other in that way! Even if the media seemed to think so.

The sight of The Gold Fighter carrying the young Satan girl off into the sunset that fateful night was enough for the press to make up even more elaborate stories about their 'romance' and subsequently causing Mister Satan to nearly have a stroke.

Of course the Z-gang teased the him relentlessly about it, but Gohan would never let onto what had really happened. His story went that he took her home like a gentlemen, gave her a senzu bean and went back home like the good boy he was.

It was odd, though didn't feel awkward at the time when they didn't speak a word to each other during the throws of passion, save for the girl crying out the name of his alter ego to the ceiling. Videl had simply sighed afterwards, a contented smile on her lips as she had dozed off, lying on his bare chest as he stroked her hair.

His mind kept replaying that moment, making it very difficult for him to stop thinking about her.

But what could he say? What could he say to the girl who he had loathed, then teased, then admired, then ignored, then slept with, only to ignore again? Not that she had tried to contact him either. She probably was, like him, too embarrassed to talk to him again.

Even still, The Gold Fighter had not been seen since the incident in Satan City, he couldn't just turn up at her balcony as himself, and it would be all the more complicated should he even attempt to start something with the girl as his alter ego.

How did he keep getting himself into such a mess?

"Quack, quack!" Gohan continued, tossing more bread to the greedy mallards, "Say quack Gokuto!"

"Tch, you look like an idiot," said Vegeta, hoisting his daughter further onto his hip as he stood at the edge of the bank.

Surprisingly, the older saiyan was sporting a cool cotton shirt and jeans instead of his training attire, and Gohan couldn't help but think that he looked a lot more 'dad-like', especially with the pair of aviators he wore upon his nose.

Bulla struggled slightly against him, her brow contorted into a deep frown as she waved her arms frantically around her.

"Daddyyyy!" she whined loudly, her curly blue locks flailing about her head.

"What are you-?" the prince scowled as she continued to whimper, "Ugh fine, go and feed the damn pigeons."

" _Ducks_ Vegeta," corrected Gohan.

"Whatever."

The little girl clapped in delight as she was released, and toddled her way over to the halfling, who shot a triumphant smirk at Vegeta.

The older saiyan said nothing, instead folded his arms across his chest in a huff.

"Come here Bulla," said Gohan, adjusting his own sunglasses and hoisting the girl up onto his lap.

Gohan chuckled, as the girl flung the bread high into the air. Though she ended up getting more on him than in the water.

"Give Gokuto some now Bulla," he said fairly, watching as the little girl gave him a toothy grin, before offering a large piece to the boy.

Gokuto grasped it tightly, mushing most of the soft bread in his palm. His green eyes narrowed in confusion as he stared at it, unsure of what to do.

"That's it 'Kuto, now throw it! Throw it to the duck- oh," the teen groaned, as his son abruptly shoved the entire piece into his mouth.

Vegeta roared with laughter beside him, causing the halfling to scowl, "Shut up."

"All gone?" Bulla asked, staring blankly at the empty bag.

Gohan sighed, "Yes Bulla, all gone, but don't worry, what do you say we go find where Trunks and Goten have got to?"

"Yay!" she squealed as Vegeta picked her up and put her back in her own buggy.

"Come on kiddo," said Gohan, grasping the handles of the pushchair and steering them away from the pond, "Say bye bye to the ducks 'Kuto!"

"Bye bye duckies!" the little saiyan called, waving a hand frantically and causing Gohan snort with laughter.

Gokuto was growing quickly, a little too fast for his liking as he could now string together full sentences. He had also started to run around the garden with Trunks and Goten and could nearly keep up with the troublesome pair. The little boy was quick, and Gohan had even contemplated buying him some reins for the tournament, as he didn't want him running off on him.

He couldn't believe the tournament was but months away.

"Watch where your going brat!" Vegeta's voice broke him out of his thoughts, as he unconsciously pushed Gokuto's pushchair into Bulla's, knocking the wheels together.

"Whoops sorry," the teenager replied, shaking himself mentally.

Vegeta gave him an odd look, which the young saiyan quickly avoided.

"Where have those two got to?" Gohan wondered aloud, craning his neck over the crowds.

It was no use trying to spot the young hybrids, the entire park was completely packed. Families enjoying picnics were spread out on the grass next to the winding pathway that they strolled upon, dog walkers trudged between them, and several groups of teenagers laughed and chatted over crisp cold cider by the fountain.

The play park was a few yards ahead, and the young saiyan could hear sound of children playing as he pushed forwards through a large gathering of people queuing by an ice-cream stand.

Eventually, they managed to locate the destructive duo, standing in the middle of the play area, challenging a small group of children to a wrestling match.

A stern word and a carton of juice each later, and Gohan was sat on the grass in front of Gokuto's buggy, trying and failing to get him to eat his lunch.

"Come on kiddo, its good!" he pressed, balancing the sticky goop on a spoon in front of Gokuto's mouth. The little boy pouted, turning his head away in disgust.

"No!"

"Aw its not that bad 'Kuto, look see?" said Gohan, with all the enthusiasm he could muster.

Gokuto turned towards him, as the teen popped the spoonful in his mouth, but immediately spat it out.

"Blegh!" he choked, hearing Vegeta snort beside him.

The teenager frowned, wiping his mouth, as the prince watched his own daughter eat. She was gulping down her food obediently, a contented smile on her pretty, heart-shaped face.

The young saiyan sighed, as Gokuto's tail angrily hit him in the nose, his brow furrowed into a deep frown.

"You're only going to get hungry later," Gohan reasoned, but the boy simply blew a raspberry in response.

"I thought 'Kuto would behave more as he got older," he huffed aloud, "I don't remember Goten being this difficult."

Vegeta shrugged, "Of course not, that kid eats everything in sight, just like his idiot father."

The young saiyan sighed, his eyes averting to the play area, where Goten and Trunks were running around like maniacs, laughing and playing with the other children. His younger brother's smile was wide, lighting up the features that he shared with the deceased warrior. Trunks too, looked a lot like Vegeta; the same complexion and high cheek bones, as well as their attitude, linked them father to son.

Gohan looked at his own boy, who was currently gnawing on his own tail.

Just what did he share with Gokuto? Sure, his friends and family constantly said just how much they looked like each other. But as the boy got older he could see a lot of Lime's features coming through just as strong. Her unusual freckles dusted the young boy's cheeks, he had her nose and almond shaped eyes. The hair and tail, well they were all his.

Goten and Trunks shared many attributes relating to their fathers. Bulla, although she looked like her mother, was definitely her father's girl. And then Marron, she was the perfect mix of her mother and father, although he could see Krillin's kind hearted nature beginning to shine through.

People used to remark just how much he was his father's son, but now, he wasn't so sure. He had vowed to be a good father just like Son Goku had been to him, but when he looked at Vegeta, so full of wisdom and experience, the teenager still didn't know if he was just kidding himself.

It took him a moment to realise that Vegeta had been staring at him for well over a minute.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"What is it Trunks?" the prince asked, averting his scrutinising gaze as Trunks and Goten bounded over.

"Can we get ice-cream? Please!" the seven year old pleaded, as Goten put his puppy dog eyes to full use.

"Saiyan warrior's don't beg," Vegeta stated, yet sighed when the two young boy's did not falter, "How much is it?"

"Four Zeni!" Goten grinned happily.

"Altogether?"

"Each!" The boy's chorused.

"Each?!" Vegeta fumed, fishing through his wallet, "That had better be _with_ sprinkles, or else I'll blast the ice-cream man into oblivion, cart and all!"

"Don't worry, I got Goten," Gohan said with a light chuckle, taking out his own wallet from the back of his jeans.

Opening it up, he swore under his breath, realising he had spent the last of his wages on more nappies and food for Gokuto. He felt bad asking his mother for any money, they were already bad off enough as it was, even without the youngest saiyan in the picture.

"I've er, only got my card," Gohan said quietly.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, before thrusting a handful of notes into his son's palm, "Here, there's enough for four there."

The teenager's eyes widened, "Vegeta, you don't have to-"

"Do you want ice-cream or not?" the man challenged.

"Er, yes," he muttered, "Thanks."

"Tch," Vegeta tutted, before pushing another Zeni at Trunks, "Here, get extra sprinkles, we'll be needing them."

As much as Gohan was surprised at Vegeta's sudden gesture, he couldn't help but indulge himself in the sugary treat. Trunks and Goten had inhaled their ice-cream before they had even brought his and Vegeta's over, and the teen was certain that there were a few extra licks taken out of his.

For now the dynamic duo were safely several feet away from Gohan's ice-cream, playing in a nearby sandpit where Vegeta had insisted they take the babies to.

The teenager smiled slightly as he saw the two boys attempt to teach the younglings how to build a sandcastle, which so far had only resulted in Trunks getting hit in the face with a spade, curtesy of his younger sister, whilst Gokuto had managed to dump a bucket of sand all over his head.

So, here Gohan was left with Vegeta, with nothing to distract them except their ice-creams. It was odd really, the only real time he had spent with the full bloodied saiyan was when they had been sparring, or arguing, or more recently said saiyan pulling his drunken carcass out of a gutter after parties with the other interns.

But as the teen looked over at the man, his obsidian orbs fixated on watching the children play, Gohan couldn't help but snort into his mouthful, he was officially on a man date with Vegeta.

Oh if only Dad could see him now.

His chest suddenly tightened considerably. His father would be seeing him, in the not too distant future.

"So, does the woman not pay you enough for fooling around in that lab or what?"

Gohan turned abruptly, Vegeta had been staring at him again.

"It's not Bulma who handles the money, not really," he stated indifferently, taking a lick out of his rapidly melting cone.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, "Surely she has authority over it, besides, I thought an internship at that blasted company paid well for a kid your age."

"I didn't know you knew so much about Capsule Corp's affairs," he stated with a hint of amusement.

"Theres a lot you don't know about me brat," Vegeta retorted, crunching the last bit of his cone into his mouth, "and don't avoid the question."

The teenager huffed slightly, leaning back on one hand as he finished his ice-cream, "It does pay well, that is… well…" he sighed, his eyes averting to the sandpit.

Vegeta snorted, "Makes you think twice about using protection doesn't it?"

"Piss off," Gohan scowled, causing the prince to smirk.

"Doesn't your harpy mother have enough funds to satisfy your needs?" he asked.

The teen saiyan sighed, ignoring his elder's choice of words, "Radish farming doesn't do so well, and the money that Da- what was won from the old tournaments is slowly but surely running out. Mum's completely locked away the money I've been given as The Gold Fighter for the future, and I can't exactly do any more hours at work with 'Kuto."

Vegeta stared at him for a moment, "What about the tournament?"

"What about it?" he replied childishly, causing the man to scoff.

"Don't tell me your not going to at least try to beat me brat, I'd say you'd have a pretty good chance of winning the title and the money if you trained seriously."

"Was that a compliment?" Gohan smirked.

"Don't push it," the prince glowered, turning to him, "and don't tell me that you think you can get by just by training with your little brother."

"I thought it was just a friendly tournament," the teenager shot back.

Vegeta snorted, "There's nothing friendly about it. Your clown of a father is coming back for it and if you haven't noticed we've all been training hard for the past year and a half. Even scar face has been doing more serious training than you."

"Yeah," said Gohan, ignoring his hurtful comments, "Piccolo has been shutting himself away a lot lately, I think he's determined to beat my dad. Would be pretty cool to have a rematch between them though."

"Tch," the prince spat, "The only person that will be having any worthwhile rematch with your father will be me."

"Seems like everyone wants to fight him," said Gohan with a roll of his eyes.

"And you don't?" asked Vegeta.

The young saiyan gave him an odd look, "Why would I?"

"It's the first thing I would do to my father had he had abandoned me."

"That's not nice Vegeta," the teen growled.

"You might want to give it a try sometime, it'll make you feel better," Vegeta scoffed, "Don't pretend as though it's alright brat, you're not fooling anyone."

Gohan remained silent, suddenly finding interest in the long blades of grass in between his legs.

Perhaps the saiyan prince was right, the tournament was only a few months away now, and Gohan was nowhere near being alright with his father coming back from the dead for the weekend, no matter how much he pretended to be.

"Think about it Gohan, it might do you some good to punch the idiot in the face," said Vegeta sincerely, "I'll certainly get a laugh out of it."

Later that night, the young saiyan had been tasked with putting both Goten and Gokuto to bed.

Gokuto would occasionally sleep in Goten's bed, as they enjoyed a little sleepover now and again. As the teenager tucked them both securely underneath the sheets, it seemed that he couldn't escape talk around his father that day.

"Gohan?" asked Goten through the darkness.

"Yeah?"

"I heard you and Uncle Vegeta talking about Daddy earlier, are you really going to punch him in the face?"

Gohan couldn't help but laugh, "No Goten, I'm not going to punch him."

"Oh, okay," said the little boy, "Gohan? What's Daddy like?"

The teenager sighed, perching himself on the edge of the bed as both boys looked towards him in wonder.

"Well," he started, not really sure how to explain, "He's incredibly brave, and an amazing fighter, the strongest I've ever known. Mum always said that he knew what was best for everyone."

"He sounds nice," said Goten, smiling sheepishly as he cuddled up to Gokuto.

"He is," Gohan said with a small smile, although it was a little forced.

"See Grandpa! See Grandpa!" Gokuto squealed.

"Oi, calm down you little monster," the young saiyan chuckled, tickling the littlest saiyan in between the ribs and causing him to let out small bursts of giggles, "You'll see him soon. We all will."

"Do you think he'll like me Gohan?" asked Goten.

The teenager smiled, "Of course he will Goten. What's up eh? You nervous about meeting him?"

"A little," he whispered into his blanket.

"Well, do you want to know a secret?"

"What is it big brother?" he blinked curiously.

"I'm nervous too," he whispered back, kissing the small boy on his messy spikes before ruffling them.

"Night night Daddy!" Gokuto chirped, pulling the teen's face towards him and giving him a big sloppy kiss.

"Night kiddo, get some rest you two, more training tomorrow right Goten?"

"Yay! Okay Gohan, goodnight!" His little brother said excitedly, tucking himself further underneath the covers.

"Goodnight," said Gohan, creeping out into the dimly lit hallway and closing the door behind him.

Breathing a heavy sigh, the teenager made his way down the stairs and through the kitchen where his mother was sat chatting away on the phone to Bulma, a cup of tea in hand.

Slipping outside quietly, he took out a cigarette that he had hidden behind his ear and lit it with a small zap of Ki.

The stars were shining brightly above him, the Northern star standing out above the rest. Gohan smiled to himself, he remembered being only a few years older than Gokuto and using that same star to find his way back to his home when he was training with Piccolo all those years ago.

His father had disappeared from his life back then too, though he was training high above those stars in order to come back and save them all.

Which he did.

So was it any different now? His father had told him he had grown up within that year he had been gone. But how would he react to seven whole years of change? Of Gohan changing?

He breathed out a large puff of smoke, watching it disappear into the darkness.

Was his father looking down on him now? If he was, what would he think of him?

Throwing the cigarette stub to the ground, the teenager sighed once more. Only time would tell.


	22. Arrival On Papaya Island

**Chapter Twenty-One**

 **Arrival on Papaya Island**

 **xxxx**

 **May, Age 774**

For over seventeen years, there had not been so much excitement drawn to the small isle off of the southern coastline. Papaya Island was famous in itself, having played host to the biggest event in martial arts for hundred of years. The announcement of the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament took the world by storm, as there had not been a tournament for seven years; which, granted, was a poor turnout at the time, as the Earth was being terrorised by the evil android known as Cell.

Naturally, martial arts fans scrambled for their tickets, extra seating had to be accommodated for as well as room for hundreds of fighters that were expected to turn up. The streets were cleaned and shops were stocked, ready for the hoards of tourists to pass through on their way to the arena. Tournament officials were briefed, stall owners stood waiting and Mister Satan's hair stylist was prepped in his private suite as dawn crept over the horizon.

The streets were full of life as soon as the first airbus landed in Durian Airport. Fans and fighters of all shapes and sizes chatted enthusiastically as they made their way to the ancient temple grounds. The officials at the signing-in booth were floored as hundreds of martial artists signed up, each one claiming to be the world's strongest, each one with the hope of swiping the title from under Hercule Satan's feet.

Some fighters showed off their bulging muscles to adoring crowds, whilst others sat in a meditative silence. Children cried for the latest Gold Fighter figurine and fans boasted loudly about their Hercule autographs over the booming advertisements that were televised above the entrance walls.

So engrossed in their activities, that no one paid much attention to the small group of people dragging various bags and luggage through the bustling crowd. One may observe that they were an odd looking bunch and not necessarily put them together as having a common interest. If one were particularly curious, one may find them recognisable as previous tournament contestants, some even champions.

Although no one would be as brave as to approach them, for want of not angering the flame-haired man at the centre of the group any further.

"I've ridden galactic slugs faster than that vehicle!" spat Vegeta, hoisting his duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Oh do be quiet Vegeta," said Bulma, rolling her eyes at her husband, "Here, do something useful and hold Bulla."

Vegeta huffed, but took his daughter from his wife anyway. The two year old yawned, grabbing onto her father's spandex as she snuggled into his chest, wisps of curly blue hair falling over her face.

"I wonder where Goku could be," said Krillin, grasping the hand of his own daughter as they walked.

"I don't sense him yet," said Tien, "Do you really think he'll be here?"

"Goku has never let us down before" quirked Master Roshi, his sunglasses glinting in the morning sunshine, "He'll be here, don't you worry about that."

"I just can't wait!" Puar squealed as he circled Yamcha's shoulders, "It's been so long!"

"It has hasn't it?," said Krillin ogling the stands as they walked by, "Wow, I can't believe how much this place has changed, it looks like a world fair!"

"That's what you get when you've got Mister Satan hamming up the tournament the way he does," chuckled Yamcha.

"Ooh, I can't wait to see Goku land a hit on that oaf in the finals," Oolong growled, punching his chubby fists together.

"And what makes you think Kakarot will even _make_ it to the finals?" snorted Vegeta, "I don't know why any of you weaklings bothered to show up. The only real fight will be between Kakarot and I, unless the eldest brat has decided to take a break from babysitting."

"That reminds me, where is Gohan?" asked Krillin, ignoring the prince, "I haven't seen him or Chi-Chi anywhere."

As soon as Krillin finished his sentence, a booming voice reached their ears, and a giant of a man made his way through the crowd towards them.

"Hello friends!" Ox-King beamed as he approached, placing the Son family luggage on the ground with a thud.

Goten immediately jumped from his shoulders, tackling Trunks to the ground in a fierce hug. The spikey haired six year old was already dressed in his orange and blue gi, and Krillin couldn't help but exchange a knowing smile with Yamcha.

"GOKU?!"

Krillin jumped, as Chi-Chi seemed to materialise in front of him and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, "Where is he? Have you seen him?!"

"N-no! Chi-Chi he's not here yet!" Krillin cried.

Chi-Chi sighed, dropping him to the floor and looking sadly at the others.

"I thought he'd be here by now," she mustered, allowing a sympathetic Bulma to console her.

"Well Goku may not be here, but someone else we know is," smiled Master Roshi.

"Piccolo!" Goten cried, as they caught sight of the Namekian warrior.

Piccolo quirked his lips as he emerged from the shade of a nearby palm tree.

"Hey kid. Where's your brother?"

"Yeah where is Gohan, Chi-Chi?" asked Bulma as the gang greeted their fellow warrior, "I would have thought he'd be travelling with you."

Chi-Chi growled, "That young man! He snuck out last night when we were all in bed, doing who knows what with who knows who! He didn't come back until _five_ am! I don't know what I'm going to do with that boy."

Bulma patted her friend on the shoulder, attempting to ignore the small snorts of laughter coming from Krillin and Yamcha.

"Aw let him live a little, he is still a teenager Chi-Chi," Bulma soothed, "where's Gokuto? Have you left him with Mister Lao?"

"Oh no," said Chi-Chi, "Gokuto was still asleep when Gohan got back, so I offered to bring him with us. But you know what Gohan's like with the baby, he said they'd both catch up behind us."

"Well he'd better hurry up," a blue-haired Launch quipped, looking at her watch, "Him and Goku both, the signing in desk will close soon."

The gang looked around them apprehensively for any sign of their friends.

"Maybe we should split up and look for them," said Yamcha.

"I'll go and comb the area," Krillin offered.

But as soon as the words were out of his mouth, a familiar whirring sound filled the air and, within an instant, the spikey haired warrior in question appeared.

They gaped, as Son Goku stood before them with Baba the witch at his side, the same wild hair, the same orange gi and the same goofy smile greeted them. It all seemed like a dream, until the familiar voice pierced the awestruck silence, the same voice that seemed lost in their memories seven long years ago.

"Hi everyone, I'm back!"

They laughed, and they cried as they embraced him. The only indication that he was deceased being the shining golden halo atop his head. Goku laughed along with them, that infectious goofish laughter that even brought a smile to Piccolo's lips.

It was only until Goku noticed Chi-Chi did the laughter die down.

The ox-princess smiled, a forgiving smile that caused Goku's heart to soar, "I've missed you Goku."

"I've missed you too Chi-Chi," he started, moving to embrace her, "I- huh?"

Goku stopped, catching sight of a small messy mane of hair behind his wife's skirt.

"Er Chi-Chi, I think there's a little me hiding behind your leg!" Goku exclaimed dumbly.

"Goten, its alright honey," cooed Chi-Chi to the seven year old behind her.

The man's eyes widened, as slowly, a small head appeared and obsidian eyes clapped onto his own. Goten looked so much like him, in fact, exactly like him.

Goku blinked, and kneeled down to greet his youngest son, "Hi, I'm Goku."

"I-I'm Goten," the boy muttered nervously.

"Hi," Goku beamed, winking up at his wife.

After a few seconds, Goku was nearly bowled over as the orange and blue blur connected with his torso, "DADDY!"

"Hey little guy!" Goku chuckled, whirling him around in the air.

Goten giggled loudly as the gang looked on at the happy scene.

"Goku," Baba coughed, interrupting their father-son moment, "I'll leave you be now. Good luck in the tournament, and remember, you have seventy-two hours. That's all I can do."

Goku nodded, "Alright, thank you Baba!" he called, watching the pink haired witch fly off into the distance.

"Goku, it's so good to have you back," Krillin grinned, clapping him on the back.

"It's great to be back," he smiled, hoisting a beaming Goten up onto his shoulder.

He looked around, expecting someone else to come and greet him, a very important person. The very person he had come all this way to see, "Where's Gohan?"

"Oh he's-" Krillin started, before he was drowned out by a loud rumbling sound. The roar of an enormous engine was accompanied by the sound of shredding guitar music coming from over the horizon.

Goku looked in the direction, frowning, as a sleek black motorcycle with shiny silver cylinders skidded to a halt in front of the entrance to the grounds.

The music was almost deafening, causing several people to turn in its direction. There were two riders. One was a teenager, dressed in grey skinny jeans that were purposely ripped at the knees and a dark t-shirt, a studded belt and biker boots. He had messy long hair tied into a low ponytail, which much resembled the toddler's on the booster seat behind him. He had several tattoos that ran down the sleeve of his left arm, although a reddish jagged scar could be seen through the ink.

He had a cigarette tucked behind his ear, the lobe of which was stretched with something that resembled a plug. His eyes were covered by dark sunglasses, that reflected the stone towers of the entrance way.

Th young man sighed, leaning back in his seat, as the engine rumbled heavily over the temple grounds.

"Oh, there he is!"

 **xxxx**

Gohan sighed as he killed the engine, running a hand through his unruly long locks as he sat back in his seat. Going out to a bar last night seemed like such a good idea at the time, it wasn't like he could sleep with the knots of nerves twisting in his stomach. Every time he closed his eyes he was met with the vision of the last time he saw his father alive, and each time he was reminded of his failures.

The mere thought of meeting his father again was enough for him to sneak out of the house and meet up with his intern friends a skanky bar in West City.

The plan was to have a couple of whiskeys to make him sleep then get up early with his family in the morning. That idea had crashed and burned after he lost count after his eighth glass, and several hours later, he found himself waking up at someone's roof top terrace in South City.

Peeling himself from underneath the two naked girls practically stuck to his chest wasn't an easy feat, but finding his clothes was near impossible, until he remembered he had been the one to initiate skinny dipping, and soon found his attire at the bottom of the swimming pool. It was safe to say that his mother was not impressed when he turned up ten minutes later at home, and practically threw him in the shower in an attempt to sober him up.

Last night's endeavour certainly did nothing to help calm him, and now the knots in his stomach were accompanied by a sickly feeling he was sure was from his hangover.

Gohan shook his head, he hadn't drunk that much in a while, and felt a little guilty about leaving Gokuto all night. Luckily, he had provided both him and Goten with the long story of how his father almost defeated Frieza before bed, and the children had gotten so excited about meeting the man they had completely over-exerted themselves, falling into a deep sleep.

The teenager grinned at the thought of how he found Gokuto that morning after his shower, completely sprawled out on his bed, his unruly ebony hair fanned about him as he snored, clutching his toy dragon Icarus tightly to his chest.

Gokuto had been excited all morning about meeting his grandfather, and Gohan's head was already banging without the added pressure of a two year old squealing in his ears every five minutes.

He looked towards the large entrance, with ancient stone gargoyles embedded into its walls. The place was huge, and certainly beheld all the grandeur his father talked about in his youth.

"Daddy this place is huuuuuuuge!"

Gohan couldn't help but smile as Gokuto vocalised his thoughts. The two year old was sat behind him, practically standing up in his seat, his emerald green eyes wide as his tail waved wildly behind him.

The teenager chuckled, swinging his leg over the bike and placing a booted foot on the ground.

"Nice wheels kid!" A passer-by exclaimed.

Gohan raised a hand in acknowledgment before readjusting his sunglasses and unbuckling Gokuto from his seat.

"I wanna press the button! I wanna press it!" the little boy squirmed in his grasp, his chubby hands stretched outwards.

"Alright! Alright kiddo! Calm down for a minute!" The teenager scolded, before allowing his son to decapsulise the bike in a puff of smoke.

Gokuto clapped in delight as the halfling pocketed the capsule and repositioned the toddler on his hip.

Looking around the grounds, Gohan knew he was stalling. He knew that just by stretching out his senses he could pick up the energies of the Z-fighters in an instant, but the longer he stayed away from where his father would be the better.

"Daddy?"

"What's up?"

"Sweeties?"

Gohan looked down at his son, whose eyes were fixed to nearby vender, who was giving out brightly coloured, sugary coated lollypops to throngs of excitable children.

"Later."

"Aw," Gokuto pouted, looking longingly at them as they passed it.

The young saiyan felt a little bad, but he could not deal with Gokuto on a sugar high right now. The young boy already had oodles of energy and could be positively destructive after sugar.

"B-but I want sweeties," Gokuto sniffled, his emerald eyes brimming with tears.

"Oh come on kiddo don't cry," soothed the teen, now wishing to Kami he had just caved.

Gokuto started to sob, causing several heads to turn in their direction. He really didn't need this right now, anything was better than one of his son's tantrum, although he was a good kid most of the time, the young saiyan would rather face a post Goten and Trunks pranked Vegeta in the gravity room.

"I-I want sweeties!" Gokuto cried louder, now several people were ogling them. A couple of them tutted at the teenager as he attempted to calm the child down.

"Gokuto, please work with me here! I'll get you some sweets, but Daddy needs to sign in before the desk closes!" But his attempt was in vain, as the little boy hiccupped, tears running down his cheeks.

The teenager hurriedly looked around for a distraction, something, anything-

"Oi Gohan! Over here!"

Alright, maybe not anything.

Gokuto was immediately silenced by the voice, and turned his head in the direction of the source, his tears ceasing abruptly as he caught sight of Goten.

Gohan sighed, allowing his son to scramble over to the gang and turned to face his brother, but he was not prepared for whom he was enthusiastically pointing at.

"Look! Look Gohan! Daddy's here, just like you said!"

The young saiyan halted in his tracks, his throat running dry as he stared at his father. He should have known that he would have looked the same as he did seven years ago, but he was unprepared for the reality of it all. The only indication that any time had passed was that Gohan was now so tall that he could look his father directly in the eyes.

An uncomfortable silence grew between them, as Gohan noticed that neither of them had said anything for over a minute. The gang was looking to and from them expectedly, and he could almost feel their nerves intermingling with his.

The teenager urged himself to speak; to say, something.

He wanted to say he was sorry, to cry out seven years of bottled up anguish and guilt, he wanted to shout and scream, hit his father so hard that he would feel how much he had hurt him when he said he didn't want to return. He wanted to say that he missed him, that he had needed him. But all he managed to do was to open and close his mouth like a fish out of water.

Luckily, his father was able to stop staring at him long enough to muster a sentence, "G-Gohan? Is that really you? Wow you're giant!"

Gohan nearly fell over. Was that really all he could say? After seven long years? That he had gotten _taller_? Well no shit Sherlock.

"Er, thanks Dad." He muttered, lowering his head to avoid looking at him any longer.

"Hey," said Goku, making his way over to him, "Take off those sunglasses son, let me see you."

Gohan reluctantly did as he was told, the sunlight piercing his vision so that he squinted up at his father's beaming face.

"There's my boy," Goku smiled, looking into his onyx orbs.

The teenager quickly slammed his glasses back over his eyes, earning him a confused frown from his father. Luckily, Gokuto chose that moment to slam directly into Goku's legs whilst he was in the mist of running around wildly with Goten and Trunks.

"Whoopsie! Sowwy!" The toddler squeaked from the floor, before hiding behind Gohan.

The full blooded saiyan laughed, as Gokuto looked up at his father and whispered, "Daddy, who's that?"

Goku's laughter stopped short, "D-Daddy?"

"It's your Grandpa kiddo," Gohan answered, ruffling the boy's hair.

"G-Grandpa?!" was all Goku could muster, before Gokuto launched himself at him with impressive speed.

"Hi Grandpa!"

The teenager couldn't help but smirk at the absolute dumfounded look on his father's face. He held Gokuto out with outstretched arms, his eyes bulging as he caught sight of the child's wagging tail.

"G-Gohan?"

"Er, surprise?" said Gohan, forcing a nervous grin.

"Heh heh," Krillin grinned wickedly as the gang approached them, "That's right, bet you didn't expect to be an old granddad when you got here huh?"

"Not helping Krillin," the halfling growled.

Goku shook his head in disbelief, "Just how long was I gone for?! I thought you might have been babysitting!"

The halfling face-palmed, he forgot how dense his father could be sometimes.

"But he's so cute! I can't believe I'm a grandpa!" Goku beamed, hoisting his giggling grandson into the air, "hey, what's your name little guy?"

"Gokuto!" the toddler laughed.

"Gokuto huh?" He pressed, flashing Gohan a knowing smile, "How old are you Gokuto?"

The boy frowned, his tail swishing behind him in thought, "Er… erm…" he struggled, his emerald eyes glancing over to his father.

"Two," The teenager whispered, a smile playing on his lips.

"Two!" Gokuto repeated at his grandfather, grinning widely.

Goku chuckled, yet his eyes widened when it finally clicked just how old Gohan was when the boy was born.

" _ **Attention! All remaining fighters please report to the signing in booths! They will be closing in five minutes! I repeat, five minutes till closing!**_ " Boomed a somewhat frantic voice over the tannoy system, it seemed that the tournament officials were struggling with the sheer volume of competitors.

"Come on you lot, we'd better get a move on!" Bulma called, as the Z-fighters quickly gathered their belongings and respective children and proceeded to make their way down the path.

Gohan walked behind his father, watching as Goten ran in front of him to grasp Goku's hand. Gokuto was happily kicking his legs either side of Goku's hip, looking in awe at his surroundings.

The teen saiyan couldn't shake a sudden feeling of longing at the two children grasping onto his father. He walked more slowly, his mind whirring as he battled his feelings.

"Come on kid," said Piccolo as he placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't give yourself a hard time, just try to enjoy the weekend."

Gohan forced a smile up at his mentor, wishing he could escape somewhere to have a cigarette.

The young saiyan walked in silence, listening half-heartedly to his father's conversation with Krillin about the Otherworld. He didn't need to keep being reminded that his father was still dead, the halo above his head was already taunting him.

The only entertainment Gohan got from the conversation was when Krillin had to explain how Android's were able to have babies.

As they approached the booths, he found Trunks whining about how he would placed in the junior competition.

"It's not fair!" Trunks growled, imitating his father's scowl, causing the poor tournament official to cower behind his papers.

Goten jumped from Goku's side to join his best friend, hoisting his chin up to the table as he frowned.

"I'm sorry boys," The old man stumbled, his glasses falling down his nose, "But all children under the ages of sixteen automatically qualify for the junior division, it's the rules"

"But rules are boring!" Goten pined, earning himself a glare from his mother

"I'm sorry but it's out of my hands," the official stated, smoothing his hands over the wooden desk.

"Fine, we'll take the stupid junior division," grumbled Trunks, snatching his fighters ID badge out of the officials hand.

Gohan smirked, as Bulma gave the purple haired prince a stern telling off, and made his way to the adult booth.

"Name?"

"Son Gohan," stated the teen, flashing a grin as the pretty blonde looked up at him, he might as well get some kind of fun out of this tournament.

The girl was about in her early twenties, her brown eyes sparkled as she began to stare at his muscled torso before they eventually found his face.

"Is something wrong?" asked Gohan with a wicked smile.

The blonde cleared her throat and blushed, "O-oh I'm sorry, I zoned out for a second there… your name p-please?"

Gohan placed his hands on the desk in front of her, casually leaning closer, "Son Gohan" he paused, "what's yours?"

The teen smirked as the girl giggled, fumbling with his ID badge.

"Brat! Stop flirting, we haven't got all day!"

The young saiyan rolled his eyes at the sound of Vegeta's voice, noticing that the majority of the gang we're eyeing him in amusement.

"Fine," he sighed, grabbing his ID and papers before joining them.

"You're not competing as The Gold Fighter?" asked Piccolo as he approached.

Gohan snorted, "Are you joking? I'd never get any peace if I did, it would be utter pandemonium!"

"Don't flatter yourself brat," Vegeta scoffed.

"Tell me V, just how many naked bosom's have you sharpied _your_ signature across?"

"Hmm, looks like we're all in the same hotel." Chi-Chi mused, cutting across him on purpose, as she flicked through her husband's tournament documents.

Bulma rolled her eyes at the young saiyan, "Right come on, it's this way" she called, leading the way for the gang to follow.

"What's The Gold Fighter?" Goku asked aloud.

Yamcha chuckled, "Oh, you'll find out soon enough."

"Um, alright," said the spikey haired warrior, adjusting Gokuto who was once again craning his neck on the search for sugar, "I can't believe just how big this place is!"

"I know right," agreed Yamcha, looking through his own stack of documents as they walked, "We never had any of this rubbish before! Look here! A whole itinerary for the weekend," he informed the fighters, rolling out a longer piece of parchment, "Friday: Adult Preliminaries and welcome party, Saturday: Junior Division and Sunday: Adult Finals and award ceremony!"

"It going be quite a weekend," Tien said with a wry smile, as they strode up the path towards the hotel grounds.

"It can't be!" A voice came from behind them, "Goku? Is that you?!"

Gohan turned around curiously, just as a smartly dressed man rushed to greet them.

He wore a dark blue suit with red tie, his dark blonde hair was slicked back by copious amounts of gel, and a blonde moustache tickled his upper lip. The teen recognised that he worked for the tournament, as he had various ID badges and passes strapped around his neck. He smiled in relief as he grasped his father's hand tightly.

"It _is_ you! Wow, I never thought I'd see you again!" The man positively beamed.

Krillin laughed, "Hello Mister Alonso it's good to see you too!"

"It's been a long time!" Yamcha smiled.

"It certainly has!" said Alonso, grinning widely at them all, "I tell you without you lot these tournaments have nothing but been capital B boring! Are you ready to shake things up? You look like you've brought a few more with you this time!"

"You bet," Krillin winked.

"Great!" said Alonso, lowering his voice to a whisper, "So tell me, it was really you who defeated Cell wasn't it? Come on Goku baby you can tell me!"

Gohan gulped, as his father looked over at him with a wide grin, "Well…"

"I knew it!" Alonso grinned as the teenager let out a sigh of relief, he'd rather not get into that any time soon, "So, you've not always had that ring over your head right?"

"Well I've been dead ever since my fight with Cell," Goku explained, "But they let me come back this one time to compete in the tournament!"

Alonso looked just as flabbergasted as Gohan felt, how on earth could his father act so casually about it?

"Well, that's weird!" Alonso laughed, "But with all the crazy stuff you've done it'd be stupid of me to start doubting you now, am I right Goku baby?"

Gohan shook his head with a small smile, as Goku introduced the tournament announcer to the other fighters who he hadn't met. It was amazing the affect his father had on people, they immediately seemed to trust him, yet it only made the teen feel all the more guilty that he had deprived every one of him all these years.

"So, do you think you lot can get through the fight without blowing up the ring this time?" asked Alonso.

"We'll try," Piccolo smirked.

"And that's exactly the kind of attitude that this tournament has been lacking! Haha!" he laughed, "By the way, which hotel are you staying in?"

Yamcha showed him, handing over his papers.

"Oh no no!" Alonso exclaimed, positively horrorstruck, "This just won't do! You're living legends amongst these grounds! Here," he offered, grabbing a card from his pocket and thrusting it into Goku's palm, "You people deserve the best. That there's the key to one of the best suites in Le Satane, save Mister Satan's of course. It was supposed to be reserved for old Jackie Chun, but he never showed up! Even has a stripper pole screwed into the ceiling like he requested," he added with a wink.

Immediately, the key card was ripped out of Goku's hands by an irate Master Roshi, "GIMME THAT!"

"Er, Master Roshi?" Goku asked in bewilderment.

Roshi blushed, when he realised all eyes were upon him, "I-I just wanted to get there first… I uh, need the loo."

"Be sure to check it out after the preliminaries!" said Mister Alonso upon his leave, "Good luck in the tournament Goku!"

"Goodbye! And thank you!" Goku waved as he rounded the corner.

"Well at least we know not everyone is a complete twit for believing for Mister Satan's lies!" laughed Yamcha.

"Finally! The royal treatment!" snorted Oolong.

 **"** _ **Attention! Will all fighters competing in the Adult Division please report to the warm up pavilion, the Adult Preliminaries will begin shortly!**_ **"** Another flustered voice sounded over the tannoy.

"Ah well, I suppose we'll meet you later," said Bulma, taking her daughter away from Vegeta.

"Yeah, we'll see you after the prelims!" called Goku, placing his grandson on the floor and ruffling his hair.

Gokuto giggled, before he ran over to Gohan, who picked him up to nuzzle his nose.

"I'll see you later 'Kuto," he smiled, yet the young boy pouted.

"But Daddy, I wanna come with you!" Gokuto huffed, his tail waving around behind him.

"I won't be long kiddo," The teenager mused glancing devilishly over at his mother, "Don't you want Grandma to get you an ice cream?"

The little boy's eyes widened, "Ice-cream!" he bellowed, bounding over to his now scowling grandmother.

Gohan ignored her, bidding a short goodbye to the non-fighters as he; his father, Vegeta, Piccolo, Eighteen, Krillin, Yamcha and Tien made their way over to the warm up pavilion.

Trunks and Goten unwillingly went to the hotel with their mothers. The young saiyan couldn't help but feel bad for them, although he was sure they would have a good match against one another in the finals of the junior division.

"I'm so excited! This is going to be great!" exclaimed Goku, as the group passed through the thatched roofed entrance way.

"Speak for yourself Kakarot," spat Vegeta, "I'll be glad when we get around to the real fighting."

Gohan's eyes widened, as the sunlight engulfed them once more. The young saiyan had never seen so many fighters. Hundreds of martial artists from every corner of the world were spread across an open aired platform. Competitors of every size, shape and ability were in for the win. The majority decided to show off, lifting weights and flexing their muscles, sizing up their opponents.

"Yeah, I'm one of Mister Satan's top students," He heard a muscled man boast towards a camera.

He was being interviewed, by a tall red haired woman in a blue pastel suit. The young saiyan noticed that there were several gaggles of press everywhere, busy shoving microphones under competitor's noses.

"Glory hogs," said Krillin with a roll of his eyes.

Soon enough they were waiting along with the sea of competitors, rumours spreading quickly that a punch machine would be used to determine the places for the championship.

The teenager was getting increasingly bored, and fed up of listening to his father's adventures in Otherworld whilst they waited for the officials to bring out the machine.

Quietly, the young saiyan slipped away from the group, leaning against a nearby wall so that he could still see what was going on, but far enough so that he could sneak a cigarette.

Grabbing the one behind his ear and lighting it, Gohan breathed a long drag in an attempt to calm his nerves.

"Hello there! Where are you from?"

The teenager turned, his eyes landing upon the female reporter from earlier. She held her microphone outwards, a cheery smile awaiting his answer.

Gohan rolled his eyes, he didn't want to be here anyway, without someone shoving a camera in his face.

"Are you competing in the tournament?" The woman asked again.

The Halfling sighed, taking another drag from his cigarette.

"What does it look like?" he asked in annoyance, it seemed pretty obvious to him, seen as he was waiting in the area where the preliminaries were held.

"Oh, well I'm sorry," The reporter smiled, "It's just that, you're not exactly _dressed_ for fighting."

Gohan looked at himself, before glancing over at some bloke in a chicken costume.

"I wear what I want," he said casually, flicking some ash onto the floor.

"Ooooh, a _bad boy_ ," she grinned wickedly, before turning to the camera, "Looks like we have our token bad boy of the tournament! With his edgy look and attitude, this guy's sure to be scoring high up the list on who's hot and who's not this year! Just look at those muscles!" she added with a wink as the camera focussed in on him, "Tell me, how old are you? Are those tattoos real? And how did you get that scar?"

The young saiyan scowled, honestly could he not get a break? "Look lady, just get out of my face, I'm not in the mood."

"Sure hot stuff," The reporter giggled in excitement, practically fawning over him before turning to the camera, "What a _cutie_! No doubt they'll be a few ladies wanting his autograph-!"

 **BOOM**

Gohan detected a jump in Piccolo's Ki just before the camera exploded.

The reporter and her cameraman shrieked, falling to the ground in fright. Several people gasped around him, as the damaged device smoked from a heap on the floor.

The young saiyan met his mentor's eyes from across the grounds, giving him an amused look.

Throwing down his cigarette stub, Gohan casually stepped over the frantic press team, before making his way back over to the group.

"Hey, where'd you go kiddo?" His father asked him with a cheery smile.

"Ah, getting mauled by a reporter," he said simply, before turning to the Namekian, "That was you wasn't it?"

Piccolo snorted, "Can't have your head getting any bigger."

"Oi!" Gohan pouted, "I have a very humbly sized ego, thank you very much."

"Oh?" his mentor quirked, "So you're being humble when you bring girls up to the Lookout and tell them that you're the Guardian of the Earth?"

Gohan rolled his eyes, "Oh come on, that was _one_ time! And Mr. Popo managed to wipe her memory of it afterwards, which I still haven't forgiven Dende for by the way."

"Dende still hasn't forgiven you for setting the West Wing on fire."

"He _told_ me to burn the sheets!" the teen retorted.

Piccolo scoffed, but failed to hide his smirk, "I don't know what I'm going to do with you kid."

The teenager smirked back, as a short, stocky man with wire rimmed glasses stepped up to the podium.

"Welcome participants, to the preliminary rounds!" he yelled into his microphone.

Several cheers rang around the pavilion, as tournament officials wheeled out a punch machine behind him.

"Pfft, what a joke," Yamcha muttered beside him, and Gohan couldn't help but agree.

"As you can see," the man called, "We will select the finalists by way of punching strength. The fifteen people with the highest scores on the punch machine will qualify for the fifteen spots."

"Punch machine, really?" Krillin moaned, "That's a new one."

"It's ridiculous," spat Vegeta, who was stood next to Gohan, "I say we just destroy them all now, save wasting time."

Goku chuckled, "Aw come on Vegeta, don't be like that. I think it's funny."

"Tch, you would, clown," the prince growled.

"To test the new machine, and give us a score to go by, we invite the defending world champion to make the first hit," continued the official, whirling around and gesturing to the large entrance way, "Let's hear it for Mister Satan!"

"Here we go…" The teenager heard Tien sigh, before the crowd behind him erupted.

Mister Satan hadn't changed all that much since the last time he saw him. Although the sheer size of his ego seemed to have doubled since their last meeting.

Hercule Satan sported the same tight curled hair and humongous jaw. His moustache and side burns were expertly shaved into neat lines, his hairy arms and chest bulging with rippling muscle. He was wearing a white and brown gi, though the golden championship belt that usually rested on his hips was lifted high into the air as he stepped out into the middle of the pavilion, unleashing a mighty roar.

"YEEEEAHHHHHH!" Hercule bellowed, relishing in the limelight.

"DOES ANYBODY WANT THIS?!" he roared, waving the belt above his head.

The crowd went wild, sending Gohan's head reeling from his hangover.

"I want it just so I can bash him to death with it," snarled Vegeta, the vein in his temple throbbing in annoyance.

"YEAAAHHHHH!" Mister Satan cried, sizing up the punch machine.

"You'd better watch out!" he grinned wickedly, pointing a huge finger at the mechanism.

"I-is he _challenging_ it?" Goku blinked in disbelief.

"Ugh, first Cell, now a punch machine," Krillin groaned, placing his face in his hand, "What next?"

"Well at least he's challenging something that he actually stands a chance at beating," said Yamcha, causing the group to burst into laughter, even Vegeta smirked.

"HOOOOO!" Mister Satan howled, slipping into his signature stance. His brow was furrowed in concentration, sweat dripped from his temple as the crowd grew silent, waiting.

"Being the defending champ, Mister Satan automatically qualifies for the tournament," the official whispered down the microphone, "Now, lets see our hero in action."

Silence swept the podium, until the Champ's eyes glinted in malice.

Drawing back his fist in one swift motion, he yelled "SATAN PUNCH!" before he fired it towards the machine, hitting the pressure pad with an almighty **THWACK**.

Gohan stared, as the numbers on the dial whizzed, before ' _137_ ' flashed upon the screen.

"Incredible!" the official cried, "Mister Satan has scored one-hundred and thirty-seven points!"

The crowd gasped and cheered in astonishment and praise, whilst Hercule grinned in triumph, puffing and panting as he addressed the crowd.

"Well!" he puffed, exiting the podium, "Good luck to all you fighters! I hope that one of you at least breaks a hundred, so that we can have a decent match!"

"Break a hundred…" Vegeta scoffed as the Champ left through the entrance, "I'll break his neck."

"Wow Vegeta, you're grumpy today," chuckled Goku, "What's gotten into you?"

"Shut up Kakarot," he scowled, "I came here for a fight, not to stand around all day watching that idiot make an even bigger idiot of himself."

"I don't know," quipped Krillin, grinning madly as Hercule tripped on his shoelace and fell off the last step of the podium, "you don't come across entertainment like that everyday."


	23. Meet The Competition

_Hello everyone! Wow 125 followers! Thank you so much! I'm so glad you're enjoying this story. Sorry I havent updated in a while, Ive been very busy with university and have had a bereavement in the family :'( so most of my time has been taken up trying to get by and support my family who live in a different city. So here is the next chapter of Gohan's story, I really hope you enjoy it as much as the other chapters. The tournament begins and there a a few shifty characters about! I must warn you though, there is mega cheesyness in this chapter - I'm sorry! I couldnt resist! Hopefully you'll forgive me! - Enjoy!_

 **Chapter Twenty-Two**

 **Meet the Competition**

 **xxxx**

To say he was bored was an understatement.

Gohan yawned loudly, watching as the next challenger stepped up to the punch machine. It was rather amusing at first, he had to admit, as the first few fighter's strutted up to the podium, sealing scores barely meeting a hundred.

The first of their group to be called was Eighteen, who's light tapping of the mechanism scored a jaw-dropping ' _774_ '. The young saiyan had thought it was hilarious, especially when Krillin had practically pulled his hair out in exasperation of his wife.

From then on, the Z-fighter's had toned it down a little, but were still racking up scores somewhere around the two-hundreds. This had all gotten too much for one prince of all saiyan's, and now Gohan was stood waiting around for a new punch machine to be set up, whilst said prince went in search of something to eat.

The teenager sighed in annoyance, reminding himself to have a firm word with Vegeta about restraint the next time he saw him.

"Next up is Videl," the official stated.

Gohan froze.

Of course he should have known she would have been competing, but he was more pre-occupied with meeting his dead father again rather than wondering what he would do if he bumped into Videl at the tournament.

A collection of murmurs escaped the crowd, as the teenage girl made her way up to the punch machine. It seemed all eyes were upon her, and Gohan couldn't blame them; she was gorgeous.

It seemed she had grown into a strong young woman within the past half a year or so. She wore those familiar spandex shorts that left nothing to the imagination, along with a white tank top with light pink undershirt. She wore her training gloves and boots as usual, her ivory skin a stark contrast to her dazzling sapphire eyes that bore a fierce determination as she stepped up to the platform.

He gulped, as butterflies exploded in his stomach. He didn't know what was wrong with him, he couldn't take his eyes off her. Of course, he had always found her to be pretty, and what had happened that night when they were both vulnerable had done nothing but confuse things between them even more. But seeing her now…

"Gohan, are you alright?" asked Piccolo.

The teenager jumped, tearing his eyes away from the girl who had just dropped into a flawless fighting stance, sizing up the machine.

"Of course I am Mister Piccolo," he replied cooly.

"You're sweating," he stated.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"You're blushing," the Namekian smirked.

"I do _not_ blush," he fumed, turning away from his irritating mentor who all but snorted at his display.

Videl growled, letting out a sharp cry as she struck the machine with all her might. The numbers on the dial flashed ' _139',_ just over Mister Satan's score.

Damn girl.

The blue eyed girl stretched, walking away seemingly indifferent of the cheers that followed her as the official wrote down her score.

Gohan's gaze followed her, his mind going into overdrive until Krillin suddenly waved his palms in front of his face.

"Hello! Earth to Gohan! They just called your name mate!"

"Oh right," he blinked, mentally shaking himself as he walked up to the platform.

"Tch look at that kid, he doesn't even look like a fighter!" One competitor scoffed at the sight of the tattooed teenager.

"Doesn't he have any respect? Looks like some kind of punk to me!" another chortled.

The young saiyan rolled his eyes, his gaze suddenly finding Videl's in the crowd. Her sapphire stare was piercing, and Gohan couldn't help but think that she could see right through him.

Still, he couldn't miss an opportune moment to show off.

Dipping low in his stance, the teenager smirked, tapping the cushion a little harder than he had originally planned.

"T-three hundred and forty one…a-a new w-world record!" the official announced weakly, as the every jaw in the arena dropped to the floor.

Gohan sauntered off the stage, winking at the fighters that had previously mocked him before attempting to avoid Videl and his father at all costs and ducking out to go and buy some more cigarettes.

Kami knows he'll be needing them.

 **xxxx**

Le Satane Hotel was nothing short of spectacular. It was by far the largest hotel on Papaya Island, and even had a pool; outdoor jacuzzi, open bar, games room, spa and gym. The foyer was completely made of marble, the only thing that ruined such a dazzling spectacle were the large golden plated statuettes of Mister Satan that lined it's many walls and hallways.

Gohan was confused, when Mister Alonso had only given them one key, but quickly found that the entire Z-gang had more than enough room. Their suite housed a large shared kitchen and living area, with double and family rooms veering off in all directions.

When the young saiyan finally made it back, he found that everyone was already settled. Goten and Trunks were still running around the place, jumping on every bed they could find, despite being scolded by their mothers.

Roshi, Oolong, Yamcha, Chaiotzu and his grandfather were busy playing a game of cards, whilst Launch was making some sandwiches in the kitchen. Vegeta stood awaiting his batch of food, whilst Piccolo meditated in the corner of one of the bedrooms. Eighteen, Bulma and Marron were inspecting more rooms and Krillin and Tien were chatting on the sofa with a cold beer in hand. Gokuto was running madly around the living room with Bulla, the toddler's laughter echoing pleasantly around the apartment.

Gohan gave everyone a wave of acknowledgement as he stalked through the kitchen, aiming to change into something a little more comfortable. The teenager was amused to find that he had been assigned the bedroom with the stripper pole, much to Master Roshi's displeasure.

Gohan's room was huge, with a large queen sized bed and goose feather pillows. The sheets were made of soft Egyptian cotton, the wardrobe and bedside table filled with plush towels and toiletries. The young saiyan even found the mini fridge, which he gladly emptied of its whiskey and sweet treats before dumping his duffle bag on the bed and changing into some loose gi bottoms.

Making his way onto the large balcony, he sighed. He could practically see the whole island, the warm summer breeze tickled his spikey mane and brushed through the hair of his tail, which he stretched out behind him gratefully.

It had already been a testing day for the halfling, and he was grateful for the current solitude he found himself in. Seeing his father again only caused the old feelings he had pushed away for so long to resurface, and it was only now did he realise his hands were shaking.

Come to think of it, he hadn't seen his father since the preliminaries, and with a quick Ki check, he realised his father's and mother's energies were hovering in the hallway.

He sighed again, resting his arms on the balcony edge, he guessed they needed some alone time.

Checking his mother was safely preoccupied, Gohan took out a cigarette and lit it, inhaling deeply and watching the wisps of smoke float across the air. The sun was slowly creeping over the sky, streaks of amber and gold illuminated the horizon, and he finally started to relax a little, allowing his mind to wander.

"Smoking's very bad for you son."

The young saiyan nearly jumped out of his skin, as his father suddenly appeared next to him.

Great Kami, he forgot he could do that.

"Dad! You scared the shit out of me!"

"I thought I taught you that you should always be aware of what's around you," said Goku, whose frown only deepened at his use of language.

"Are you seriously going to lecture me right now?" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

There was silence for a few seconds as the teen took another puff of his cigarette, avoiding his father's stare. It was…uncomfortable.

Gohan didn't know how to act, he had played this day over and over again in his mind over the past two years but with each outcome there was never…

"Does your mother know you smoke?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

This. His father had seemed pretty normal in front of the others, and the young saiyan was stupid enough to think he would get away with not talking to him one on one. The gang was still well occupied, he noticed, from the chatter coming from the next balcony over.

His father had chosen his opportunity well.

Gohan sighed, "She knows, but she doesn't like me doing it."

"Oh."

There it was again! What did his father want from him? To tell him everything that had happened over the past seven years, about all the feelings and obvious guilt he struggled with, only for him to leave as soon as the tournament was over?

"Why are you avoiding me Gohan?"

He snapped his eyes to his father, feeling so vulnerable under his stare.

"I'm not," he lied, averting his eyes to the ground and taking another drag.

"Then why are you out here?"

"Fresh air."

Goku snorted, eyeing the cigarette in his right hand.

The teenager coughed, flicking the stub off the balcony. His avoidance obviously wasn't working.

"I can't believe how much you've grown, how much you've… changed," Goku mustered after a few seconds.

"Your tail even grew back!" he added, gesturing to Gohan's extra limb poking out of the hole in his gi trousers.

"Yeah, it did when I was fifteen, Vegeta said it could grow back during puberty," shrugged the halfling.

"And Gokuto has one too," The older saiyan said thoughtfully, before breaking out into a smile, "He's really something Gohan."

He couldn't help but smile a little at his son's mention, "Yeah he's great."

His father nodded, "He looks so much like you, you know."

"Everyone says that, except the eyes. But we don't know where he got those from, though his freckles are like his mum's," he explained.

Goku offered a sad smile, "Yeah, your mum and Piccolo told me about Lime-"

"What did they tell you?" he interrupted, feeling defensive all of a sudden. His eyes snapped to his father who looked a little perplexed at his reaction.

"About what happened," said Goku carefully, "I'm sorry Gohan I didn't-"

The young saiyan sighed, "It's alright," although it certainly wasn't, "I just don't like talking about it."

"Alright," said Goku, before the uncomfortable silence engulfed them once again.

The teenager glanced at his father, he too was staring out at the street below them, an odd expression on his face. He felt bad, he didn't mean to act this way towards the man that had once taught him so much, but he thought keeping his distance might ease the pain of losing him all over again.

Gohan sighed once more, opening his mouth to speak-

"Gohan! Goku!" Chi-Chi called from the hallway, "Where have you boys got to?"

"Coming Chi!" shouted Goku, his features suddenly brightening.

The teenager frowned, before his mother offended his ears again, "Gohan! You had better not be smoking out there!"

"He's not Chi-Chi he's with me!" called Goku, winking at the confused teen before hurrying inside.

Sighing to himself, the young saiyan reluctantly followed his father into the kitchen, where his mother was waiting for them.

"Son Gohan, what do you think you're wearing?" Chi-Chi frowned, eyeing him up and down.

"Er, clothes?" he said rudely, looking down at his bare chest and gi trousers.

"Well get changed mister," she ordered, ignoring his tone, "I want the whole family to dress smartly for the welcome party. It's going to be very fancy according to the receptionist downstairs- now don't give me that look Gohan, you'll wear something nice and you'll like it- Bulma, what time are we headed down?"

The blue-haired heiress looked up from where she was dusting off Bulla's polkadot dress, "Oh in about an hour. You'd better hurry up and get Gokuto ready Gohan, we don't want to be late for the banquet."

"Banquet?!" his father exclaimed, practically drooling, "Is it all you can eat?"

The young saiyan rolled his eyes, this whole tournament was turning into a joke.

"I think it's nice to be involved you know," quipped Launch from the sofa, "It makes a nice change from just being sat in the stands all day."

"I agree," said Chi-Chi, before rounding on the teenager, "Now hurry along and give the baby a bath Gohan."

"A bath?" He frowned, "But I gave him one this morn-" he stopped short, when he caught sight of the toddler streaking through the kitchen, completely naked and covered bits of food, his ebony hair matted with yogurt and jam.

Gohan groaned, "Just how long was I outside for?"

"Long enough for him to find the fridge," the ox-princess informed him, "Just get him before he makes anymore mess please, he's already ruined Bulla's dress."

The teenager sighed, before swiftly grabbing the child as he ran past, "'Kuto, what are you doing?"

Gokuto grinned up at him, chocolate smudged around his mouth, "Playing."

The halfling attempted to hold back a laugh, picking him up and holding him at arms length, "Where are all your clothes?"

The little saiyan merely giggled in response, causing Gohan to snort.

"Well come on then, lets go and have a bath before you destroy anything else."

Gohan was glad to escape to one of the five bathrooms that lined the hallway of the hotel suite. Warm and inviting, the young saiyan sank below the bubbles, his long hair fanned out around him as he watched Gokuto play.

"Roar!" Gokuto yelled, splashing around in the water so that it spilled out onto the tiled floor. It had taken a while for the teen to scrub the sticky residue of jam from his hair, but now the little boy was fully clean, his emerald eyes glinting in delight as he grabbed at the floating bubbles.

"Roar?" Gohan quirked in amusement, "Lions don't swim kiddo, thats ducks, remember? They say 'quack' not 'roar'."

"ROAR!" he bellowed again, his chubby hands creating a huge splash, hitting Gohan in the face.

"Oi, you little bugger!" the teen laughed, proceeding to splash him back.

Gokuto squealed as the water washed over his hair, "Daddy, stop it! Nooo!"

"You started it kiddo," smirked the halfling, "Don't dish it out if you can't take it back."

"Ahh!" he cried, kicking his legs frantically, slopping water over the sides of the bath.

Gohan grabbed him, tickling him in between the ribs, their laughter reverberating off the tiles.

"Sounds like you're having fun in here!" came his father's chuckle from the doorway.

He turned, as his father and brother grinned at him, both wearing matching towels.

"Mind if we join?" asked Goku.

But before the young saiyan could protest, Goten leaped into the enormous tub, sending water everywhere as he tackled Gokuto.

"Goten be _careful_ ," Gohan scolded, as the toddler nearly inhaled a mouthful of water.

"Oh he's fine Gohan," his father mused, throwing down his towel and sliding in next to him.

The teenager averted his eyes as he climbed in, that was something he did _not_ want to see.

"Ah this is the life!" said Goku, sinking deeper into the water, his strong arms encompassing the edge of the bath.

"Er Dad?" Gohan pressed, "Aren't there like, four other bathrooms in this place?"

"Yeah, why?" he replied innocently, tilting his head at him.

The teenager fought the urge to glare at him. Now, Gohan wasn't a prude by any means, but it was something about sharing a bath with his father now he was fully grown that irked him, especially since the older saiyan was staring at him with an odd look in his eye.

"What?" he asked in annoyance, the sound of Goten and Gokuto's laughter echoing off the tiles as they wrestled each other.

"I didn't realise before," Goku started, his eyes tracing over his left arm, "T-that scar, is it-?"

"Yes," Gohan confirmed, grasping the part of his shoulder where his tattoos didn't quite cover the thin tissue.

He wished his father would stop looking at him like that.

"How did-?" he asked, but quickly cut himself short, averting his gaze away from the teen.

"Dende couldn't heal it," the teen explained somewhat robotically, "It was too deep, we just had to stitch the rest, it was the only way my arm could be saved."

Goku's lips made a distinct 'o' shape, and to his relief the saiyan didn't press any further, although the halfling saw him steal a few glances.

"Haha! Goten you looks like Papa Ox!" Gokuto's raucous giggles broke through the awkward silence.

Gohan bit his lip out of laughter, as his brother sported a soapy beard.

Goten pouted, grabbing a mound of bubbles and placing them on the toddler's head.

"Well you've got a wizard's hat now 'Kuto!" Goten laughed, making the bubbles go up in a point.

"A lizard?" asked the toddler, cutely.

"A wizard 'Kuto," Gohan chuckled.

Gokuto looked confused, "What's a wizard Goten?"

"Uhhh…" the boy pondered, looking towards his elder brother.

The teenager snorted, "They wear pointy hats on their heads, and can do lots of cool magic."

"Wow!" beamed the boys.

"I wanna do magic!" yelled Gokuto, jumping up and down in the tub.

"Look Goten, look-it! Zooooom!" he squeaked, spinning around rapidly in a circle and splashing water on him.

"Maybe another day kiddo," Gohan chuckled, "But we need to get out now, or else we'll start looking like prunes."

"What's a pwune?" asked the ever inquisitive boy.

"A _prune_ is a sticky, shrivelled up fruit," Gohan replied impatiently, as his father started to giggle.

"Ew! Icky!" said Gokuto, bobbing out his tongue in distaste.

The teen saiyan sighed, "Yes it's very icky, so come on, lets get to it so we can get ready for the party."

Gohan quickly whipped them both out of the tub, deliberately not looking at his father as he did so. Hugging Gokuto in a fluffy white towel, the young saiyan grabbed his own, feeling his father's eyes still on him.

The young saiyan sighed, Son Goku was a very preceptive man when he wanted to be, and always knew when something was bothering the his eldest son. He really didn't want his father to confront him again, but something told him that he wasn't going to get his wish.

 **xxxx**

"'Kuto, hold on to Daddy's tail please."

"Why?"

"So I can keep an eye on you."

Gohan sighed, as the toddler gently grasped his tail with his own once more. The stars shone brightly overhead as they walked underneath the velvet sky towards the banquet hall.

The teenager had successfully managed to avoid his father's questioning so far, as the older saiyan had been fully preoccupied with trying to force Goten into a horrid maroon suit his mother had picked out.

The teenager had dodged that bullet, and after a full hours screaming match between him and his mother, subsequently making the entire gang late and the teens ears to be ringing, he was able to wear a suit that he had saved up for with his wages. They had been previously informed to bring formal attire by the advertisements for the tournament, so Gohan wasted no time in picking something for himself - his mother's tastes were far too old fashioned for his liking. His suit was the darkest shade of grey that he wore with a crisp white shirt and his doc martins that he had shined up a little just to appease his mother.

His father had not been so lucky, and was currently sporting a suede version of the maroon monstrosity. Gohan was glad that he had full reign on picking out clothes for Gokuto, the little saiyan was dressed in a cute pair of green dungarees that matched his emerald eyes.

Although it was actually rather nice to dress up, the young saiyan really couldn't see the point of attending a fancy party when they were supposed to be fighting in a tournament.

"They're really pulling out all the stops eh?" his father pondered, as they passed under the marble archway leading to a domed building.

It had a glass roof with sparkling golden rungs running over it, neatly trimmed rose bushes lined a long red carpet that was grandly laid out in front of them, leading up to the entrance.

"This is boring!" huffed Trunks, pulling at his own stuffy black suit, "When do we get to fight?"

"Be quiet Trunks," scolded Bulma, her elegant gown trailing behind her, "It's not often we all get together, and I hate to admit it, but Mister Satan is certainly hitting the nail on the head with this tournament. I think it's very classy."

"I'll say," swooned a perverted Master Roshi, his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose as a gaggle of well dressed girls wiggled past.

"I have to agree with Trunks," Vegeta spat, even he had been forced into a tux, "These earthling tournaments are preposterous. On planet Vegeta, our tournaments would be nothing but one ring, where the strongest warrior's would engage in a fight to the death. The winner would get to disembowel their opponent, and have the honour in bathing in their blood."

"Eek," Krillin squeaked, tugging on his collar uncomfortably, "Well eh, the tournament certainly has changed, but it never used to be like that Vegeta."

"Talk about brutal," Yamcha muttered in Gohan's ear.

"Hurry up you lot, we're late enough as it is!" Chi-Chi called from her husbands arm.

"Come on kiddo," said Gohan, grabbing Gokuto under the armpits and hoisting him onto his shoulders.

The young saiyan followed her through the large doorway that lead to a magnificently decorated hall. There must have been over three-hundred people dressed in their finery, the family and friends of tournament participants and sponsors seated at large rounded tables.

They didn't have to go too far to find their enormous table at the back of the room, which was surprisingly big enough to seat the large group. The glass ceiling allowed the starlight to pour in through the panes, illuminating the room with a pale glow, although candlelit chandelier's lined the walls to give more light.

There was a speech going on at the front of the hall, as who Gohan guessed was the Mayor of Papaya Island was stood behind a stone podium, droning on in a monotone voice, his ceremonial chains glittering on his suit.

Gohan quickly found a highchair for Gokuto, causing a few heads to turn stiffly in his direction as the toddler made a shout of protest as he was forcibly stuffed into it. After a mini scuffle with his son, the teenager finally managed to take his place, making full use of the free wine in front of him.

As he took a grateful sip from his glass, a polite applause broke out.

His eyes scanned the main stage, where the Mayor took his place next to a beaming Mister Satan, who was fit to bursting out of his tuxedo. He extended an enormous fist out towards the Mayor, and shook his hand so roughly that the poor man nearly toppled out of his seat.

"A great speech from our Mayor!" the man Gohan recognised from earlier; Mr Alonso called, taking his place behind the podium. He was dressed more formally, although he still sported his dark sunglasses.

"But now, we have a special treat for you all before you all tuck in to your meals!"

The halfling inwardly groaned, he really hoped he didn't have to suffer through another hour of Mister Satan smashing up roof tilings again.

"Aw, how much longer Chi-Chi?" his father whined.

"Hush Goku," his mother scolded, "You'll have to wait!"

"But I'm starving!"

"How can you be hungry if you're dead?" asked Tien sceptically.

"You know, that's exactly what King Kai asks me…"

"As I'm sure most have you have read in your welcome packs, the person that scores the highest on the punch machine in the preliminaries get's the first ceremonial dance with the Champ!" Alonso continued, causing Gohan to snort with laughter.

"But as this year the winner of the prelim's is male, the lucky young man gets to dance with the world Champ's daughter!" Alonso announced, his eyes squinting at the cue cards in his hand, "And that person is… Son Gohan! Who scored a whopping three-hundred and forty-one points! A new world record! Son Gohan will you make your way to the dance floor please!"

The teenager's laughter cut short as a feeling of dread over come him.

Oh no.

Oh hell no.

"Lucky you mate! Go on!" Yamcha called.

"Er, Son Gohan to the dance floor please? Where is he?" Alonso bellowed over the microphone.

"No! I'm not going! I didn't sign up for this!" he protested as the gang tried to coax him out of his seat. Damn it, he was really starting to regret showing off in front of those martial arts wannabes.

"Ah, there he is!" Alonso shouted as a spotlight found it's way to the table, landing on him in a sudden, dazzling glow.

The young saiyan swore under his breath as Krillin, Roshi and Yamcha began to cat call.

"Yeah go Gohan!" His father yelled, Gohan felt like slapping him.

A polite applause broke out as the teen blinked the harsh light out of his eyes and reluctantly made his way onto the dance floor, where Videl was already waiting for him.

He nearly stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of her, she was wearing a floor length midnight blue gown that matched her eyes brilliantly. It had a long slit up the side the dress that showed off her toned legs. A tight heart shaped bodice extenuated her figure, and nearly caused the poor halfling to have a heart attack. Her hair was free of it's usual pigtails, allowing her raven locks to flow freely down her back in elegant waves.

It was a stark contrast to the ballgown he had previously seen her wear.

"Are you ready to begin?" Alonso asked them, though the teenager didn't know if he was.

All Gohan knew was that if he were sat on Nimbus, he would fall through so hard right now.

"Hullo, I'm Videl," she spoke suddenly, reaching out a hand for him to shake, an air of professionalism about her.

"Gohan," he smiled nervously back, returning the handshake as he heard the Z-Fighter's wolf whistle's from the back of the room.

"I don't usually dance," Videl whispered, as she positioned one hand on his shoulder and the other in his palm ready to start.

He could feel his palms already beginning to sweat as he placed his other hand gently on her hip. A sudden spark ignited within him, flashbacks of him holding onto her hips in much more scandalous ways flooded his mind.

"Don't worry," he whispered back, "I do, just follow my lead."

The Satan girl gave him a heart stopping smile in response.

Oh, he was so screwed.

As the music started, the teenager's stared at each other, the beat slow yet rhythmic. Gohan caught a tinge of a blush on Videl's cheeks, as the steady beat of the drum echoed around the room, and the band began to sing; the deep, soul voice of the vocalist filling the hall.

The young saiyan couldn't believe this was happening, it was like someone was punishing him.

Ah well, he may as well make the most of it.

 _"When your baby leaves you all alone_

 _And nobody calls you on the phone_

 _Don't ya feel like cryin', don't ya feel like cryin'_

 _Well, here I am honey, c'mon, you cry to me"_

Gohan couldn't help but smile at the look on her face as he started to sway them side to side, it seemed as though she was just as reluctant to dance in front of all these people as he was. He could hear her heart pounding as he drew her close to him, yet her breath remained steady.

 _"When you're all alone in your lonely room_

 _And there's nothing but the smell of her perfume"_

Slowly, the young saiyan began to pick up pace, twirling her around so that her dress spun about her. She gasped in surprise as he caught her, and then, matching her steps with his they began to waltz around the dance floor to the beat.

 _"Don't ya feel like cryin', don't ya feel like cryin'_

 _Don't ya feel like cryin', c'mon, c'mon, you cry to me"_

Gohan spun her out again, grabbing her hand before spinning her back into him. The intensity in her eyes grew as their hips connected with force. The young saiyan wrapped both arms around her waist, before dipping her low, her long raven hair sweeping the floor as he brought her round in a circle.

His fingertips brushed against the soft fabric of her waistline, causing her to gasp ever so slightly, he could hear her heart pounding more rapidly now, her lips parted as her back arched - it was driving him insane.

 _"Nothin' can be sadder than a glass of wine alone_

 _Loneliness, loneliness, such a waste of time, oh yeah_

 _You don't ever have to walk alone, oh you see, oh c'mon_

 _Take my hand, baby won't ya walk with me? Oh yeah_

His breathing intensified, as they began to sway again, so close that their noses where almost touching. He couldn't help but relish in the way she was pressed against him, her hips moving slightly against his. At that moment, there was no one else in the room but them. The music blared loudly in Gohan's ears as he focused all his attention on the girl in front of him.

 _"When you're waitin' for a voice to come_

 _In the night but there is no one_

 _Don't ya feel like cryin'_

 _(Cry to me)_

 _Don't ya feel like cryin'"_

As the music began to fade, did he smooth his hand up her leg, bringing her thigh up to wrap around his waist. Their eyes locked together, her breath tickling his lips as the band come to a sudden stop.

Gohan jumped, the lights abruptly illuminating the dance floor as the waiting staff brought out trays upon trays of delicious smelling food. It was if the small bubble he had been in had burst and it was then did the young saiyan realise that he was indeed standing in the middle of around three-hundred people, who were staring with their jaws open at the sight of the intertwined young couple.

He had to admit he did get a little carried away, that kind of dancing was not exactly family friendly by any means. He may as well have taken her then and there in the middle of the dance floor.

Hercule's face was red with anger, and Gohan hurriedly bid Videl a quick thanks before releasing her and headed for the bar, attempting to cover his crimson face.

Unfortunately for him, Yamcha was already waiting for him.

"Whiskey please," Gohan ordered, ignoring his friends goofish grin.

"Well that was… new," the scarred man teased.

"Bugger off Yamcha," the teen spat, downing his drink in one.

Yamcha chuckled, "I'm just saying that you looked pretty smitten out there, your dad seemed to think so."

"Do I have to tell you again-?!"

"Hem hem."

The teenager jumped, as did none other than Videl Satan appear in front of him.

"I just wanted to say thanks for the dance, you kind of rushed off there," she smiled, a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks.

"I'll just leave you two kids alone…" Yamcha winked, hurrying off back to his place at the table, but not before giving the young saiyan a thumbs up behind the girl's back.

"You're welcome," Gohan replied, shooting a glare at his friend.

"Sorry, it was all a bit of a last minute thing," said Videl, "It was a bit embarrassing, I'm surprised my dad put me up to it actually. I suppose he thought that it would have turned into some kind of sickening father-daughter dance seen as he thought no one would be able to match his score, let alone beat it."

"Heh," the young saiyan chuckled nervously, "Well you know, beginners luck I suppose."

"I thought you were a beginner, I've not seen you in the tournaments before," she said, eyeing him, "Your score was only a little higher than that new group that showed up…"

Ah, the ever perceptive Miss Satan. She hadn't changed one bit.

"Well that group's my family and friends, we all train together," said Gohan, sort of hoping she would drop the subject.

"So where do you train?" Videl asked, calling the bartender over and ordering a glass of wine.

"All over really," he replied, swirling the ice around in his glass.

"I see," she said, taking a small sip of her drink, "You know, I recognise you from somewhere…"

Shit.

"Hey Videl!"

Oh thank Kami.

The young saiyan breathed a sigh of relief as Videl's friends bounded over to them. Yet his relief was short lived as her blonde friend approached, a familiar looking red head in tow.

"Hey Gohan, I thought I recognised those moves," said Angela, giving him a wink.

"Hi Angela," the halfling grinned politely, "How are you?"

"Fine thanks," she smiled.

"Good."

"Um, you two know each other?" asked the blonde.

"Oh yeah!" exclaimed Angela, causing the teenager to sweat, "We met Gohan here at Capsule Corp. charity ball a couple of years back, you know the one that the red shark gang raided? Gohan you remember Erasa and Videl don't you?"

Gohan let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"That's where I know you from!" said Videl, giving him an apologetic smile, "Blimey, sorry about my dad that night."

"It's fine, no harm done," the halfling grinned back.

"So, what do you say girls, shall we have a cocktail?" asked Erasa.

"I've already got a drink thanks," said Videl, gesturing to her wine.

" _Boring_ ," the blonde teased, calling the bartender over, "I'll have a porn star martini please, Angela?"

"Sex on the beach for me," The red head said seductively, staring longingly at the young saiyan.

Well, this was getting increasingly awkward.

"Gohan, cocktail?"

"Actually, I'd better be getting back to my family, they'll be wondering where I've got to," he said, offering them an apologetic smile.

"Oh well alright, perhaps we'll see you later then?" asked Erasa.

With a small nod and wave, the young saiyan made his way back to his seat.

"There he is the man of the hour!" Roshi chortled, clapping him on the back as he passed.

The teenager rolled his eyes, attempting to concentrate on the mountain of delicious food in front of him.

"Well, it looks like those dancing lessons paid off!" his father laughed, causing the halfling to shoot him a glare.

"I told you so!" his mother smirked, inclining her head towards Goku and Piccolo, "and you two thought I was crazy for even suggesting it. I think it makes him look like a proper gentlemen."

"If that's what you want to call it," Krillin snorted into his meal, but Chi-Chi didn't hear him.

"Those girls certainly seem to think so eh son?" Goku continued with a twinkle in his eye, "That red head keeps looking over here."

"Yeah Goku's right Gohan," said Yamcha, "she's looking over here a lot, do you know her or something?"

"Shagged her," the teenager shrugged offhandedly, getting increasingly fed up with the gang's constant cooing.

His father suddenly began to choke on his food, his mouth hanging open once he had successfully swallowed. His mother shot him a murderous glare, that Gohan ignored as he leaned over to cut up Gokuto's food for him.

Yet the sudden family tension was short-lived, as an eerie presence suddenly filled their senses.

The hairs on the end of his tail began to stand up as an odd feeling that he couldn't place washed over him.

"Greetings."

Gohan gave a start at the voice, spinning around in his chair and coming face to face with the two beings standing directly behind him.

The young saiyan couldn't comprehend how he had not noticed them before, as they most definitely stood out from the crowd. They were dressed in similar garbs, that were wrapped in a kimono-like fashion around their middle.

One, was tall with long white hair and blood red skin. He stood a ways behind the other man, who was much shorter. Like his comrade, he had large pointed ears with earrings dangling from each lobe, whereas his counterpart had light purple skin and his white hair was styled into a mohawk atop his head.

As much as the taller being towered over them, the teenager couldn't help but feel a particularly odd vibe emitting from the shorter male, as his eyes scanned the table and a small smile graced his lips.

"Um, hi!" his father said pleasantly.

The purple-skinned man grinned slowly as his gaze settled on his father, the silence was unnerving and it took Gohan all but a second to realise that he was floating a few inches off the ground.

"Good evening," he said, his voice as smooth as silk, "You wouldn't happen to be Son Goku by any chance?"

The young saiyan exchanged a nervous glance with Piccolo. He had come to realise now that a fair few people here recognised his father from previous tournaments, but it was as if this new arrival knew something, something more.

"Yeah, that's me," Goku smiled.

"My name is Shin," he stated, before gesturing to the stoic man behind him, "and this is my associate Kibito."

"Good to meet you," said the deceased warrior, giving them a curt nod.

"Your reputation of a being a great fighter proceeds you Goku," Shin stated, his grin unwavering, "I was hoping for a chance to fight you in the finals."

Further down the table, he heard Vegeta scoff. Both Goten and Trunks looked on curiously, whilst Gohan noticed Gokuto was transfixed, sitting still for possibly the first time that day as he stared at them.

Gohan subconsciously moved his shoulders to the side in order to shield him, something didn't feel right.

"It's not that I'm being over confident," he continued with a light chuckle, "No, not at all. I've travelled very far to be here, and I'm just looking for the best challenge I can get. And I know that your a man that understands that, isn't that right, Saiyan?"

Goku's eyes widened slightly, "How did yo-"

"Ah, and you must be Goku's son, Son Gohan I believe?"

The teenager gaped, as the man suddenly addressed him. His stare was penetrating, and he could immediately feel goosebumps start to appear on his forearms.

"I must applaud you," Shin continued, without waiting for him to answer, "Your battle with the android Cell could be felt across the cosmos. Such incredible power."

The halfling's eyebrows shot to his hairline, just how did he know about that?

"Well," Shin smiled widely, turning his attention back to his father, "I must say it is an honour to meet you and your son Goku. I'm very much looking forward to the competition."

"Wow, er thanks," his father said with an uncertain chuckle.

"Not at all," said Shin, giving the table another sweeping glance, "I'll leave you and your friends be, my sincerest apologies for interrupting your meal."

With a small bow, Shin landed gracefully on the floor, before turning away from them and exiting through the main doors, Kibito following silently in his wake.


	24. The Junior Division

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

 **The Junior Division**

 **xxxx**

"Well, that was… odd," mustered Krillin, as the mysterious duo disappeared from sight.

"I know what you mean," said Piccolo, giving Gohan a concerned glance, "They're strong, really strong."

"Yeah," his father agreed, frowning a little, "But hey, isn't that what this tournaments all about? Finding the unexpected challenge and seeing who emerges as the victor?"

The young saiyan was silent, feeling incredibly uneasy as the group erupted into chatter. He had encountered some strange characters in his life, but those two had certainly taken the biscuit. Just who the hell were they? Were they that strong they could feel his battle with Cell from Kami knows where? Just how much did they know?

The young saiyan's head was spinning, thoughts of the bio-android whirring around in his mind.

"I'm going for a piss," he said abruptly, standing up from the table and causing the gang to give him an odd expression. "Can someone keep an eye on 'Kuto?"

Without waiting for a reply, the hybrid left the table, feeling Piccolo's eyes burning into the back of his head as he went.

Skirting around the edge of the room, the teenager bypassed the toilets and automatically headed outside for a smoke. The glorious smell of high class food did nothing to entice his appetite, an uncomfortable feeling churning in the pit of his stomach.

"Oh Gohan!"

He sighed as someone shouted his name, resting his head on the wall with an unlit cigarette in his mouth, he prayed to Dende that something would at least go his way tonight.

Couldn't he just be left alone?

"There you are Gohan," it was Erasa, her blue eyes sparkling at the sight of him, "I was just coming over to invite you to the party when I saw you head outside."

"A party?" the young saiyan asked, suddenly interested, "Where?"

"We all meeting at Megaton Motel in about half an hour," she informed him excitedly, "all of our classmates are going, and I've invited some of the younger fighters already. What do you say?"

The teenager thought for a moment, a party did sound good, and it would take his mind away from all the dodgy stuff that was going on at the tournament. Of course Videl would be there, but he was steadily coming the the realisation that he would much rather spend time with her than his father. And that was saying a lot.

"Yeah, alright it sounds like fun."

 **xxxx**

The party was in full swing when Gohan had shown up, albeit a little later than expected.

It had taken quite a bit of persuasion for his mother to allow him to go. It was ridiculous that he had to even ask really, although he did needed someone to look after Gokuto for a few hours. Luckily, and to his surprise his father had stepped in after his mother and the rest of the Z-Fighters seemed sceptical of the young saiyan, offering to look after Gokuto whilst Gohan had a good time. Although his father did state he had to be home by midnight.

The young saiyan couldn't help but laugh in his face when Goku had attempted to give him a curfew.

Music blasted from oversized speakers and several teenagers were already passed out or snogging each other in what they thought were secluded corners. It hadn't taken the young saiyan long to find Videl, and was thankful when she wasn't surrounded by her adoring fans, he was also getting increasingly fed up with Angela following him around.

"Do you want a drink?!" Gohan yelled over the pumping clubland music.

"WHAT?!" Videl hollered back, inclining her ear towards him.

"I _said_ do. you. want. a. DRINK?!" he tried again, but thankfully this time she heard him, and the young saiyan headed for the kitchen, grabbing a couple of beers for them both.

The apartment was situated on the top floor of the complex, so the gaggle of teenagers had full range of the rooftop looking out over the entire island. It was a nice suite, but not to the same grandeur as the one's at Le Satane.

Videl pushed her way through the crowds towards him after he called her over with the drinks in hand. Many people turning to greet her as she passed.

"Vi! Over here!" Erasa called, spotting them from the opposite wall, where she chatting to some friends. A boy named Sharpener was with her, and all but scowled as they approached.

"Oh, and where have you two been?" the blonde girl winked suggestively.

"We were just talking over there Erasa," she growled at her friend, who merely smirked behind her drink.

"So, are you having a good time Gohan?" asked Erasa, turning her attention towards him.

"Yeah, thanks for inviting me Erasa," he replied, giving her a winning smile.

She giggled, along with a couple of other girls in their group.

"Well it's all for our girl Videl here," said Erasa, patting her best friend heavily on the back. She wobbled slightly, still not used to her heels. "Yep, she's gonna take this tournament by storm."

"Confident your gonna win eh?" Gohan could help but tease her, causing her eyes to widen, though there was a hint of amusement in her stare.

"Of course she's going to win!" a boy with light brown hair and glasses gawked, "Or at least get into the semi-finals with Mister Satan!"

"Well, we'll just have to see about that," The young saiyan winked at her.

Beside him, Sharpener scoffed, "Oh and I suppose _you're_ going to beat her? I doubt it."

"Come on babe," Sharpener said to Videl, brushing a hand through his long blonde hair, "Let's go get a drink."

"I've already got one thanks," said Videl, rolling her eyes, "and I'm not your _babe_ Sharpener."

"Whatever," said the blonde, folding his arms across his chest, "You're just playing hard to get."

"Ignore Sharpie, Gohan," Erasa giggled, "He thinks he's Kami's gift to all women."

Gohan chuckled along with the rest of the group, as Sharpener's cheeks burned crimson.

"So who else did you invite Erasa?" another teenager asked, looking around the room.

"Well," the blonde grinned triumphantly, "I managed to snag us a few competitors, some of them didn't make it through the prelims though, but most of them are staying here to watch the rest of the tournament, so I asked them to bring all their friends!"

Gohan's eyes scanned the room, and indeed he found that there were a fair number of people he recognised from the preliminaries. Most of them were younger fighters, the oldest probably in their mid-twenties.

"Oh look, theres one of them now!" Erasa squealed, just as a tall muscular teen bustled through the crowd.

He was about a head taller than the young saiyan, with bulking, oversized muscles that lined his arms and torso. His shirt was buttoned open to his sternum, displaying a few dark curly chest hairs. He grinned as he approached them, displaying perfect pearly white teeth and slicking back his brown floppy hair.

"Hey," he said in a deep voice, placing a hand on the wall and leaning against it.

"Oh hi Austin," Erasa chimed, although Gohan immediately noticed that it was not the blonde he was leering at.

"Hi Videl," he smirked, purposefully brushing his hand against her waist.

Fury suddenly erupted in the young saiyan's chest, his onyx eyes hardening at the boy.

"Hi," the girl replied in distaste, taking a sip of her beer.

"You didn't reply to my texts," said Austin, "How am I supposed to know if you got your presents or not?"

"Oh yeah thanks," Videl said dryly, "The roses looked great on my dad's compost heap."

Austin threw back his head, in what Gohan could only describe as pompous, idiotic laughter.

"Oh Vi, you're so funny," the idiot chortled, gesturing to the four boy's that had joined the group, "Isn't she funny lads?"

There were sounds of agreement, as Austin rounded once again on the girl.

"So," he said in a husky tone, "I've had some of the beginners from the club wax up my father's car for me, it's parked outside, what do you say we go for a little spin around the island?"

Videl scoffed, "The white belt's aren't your personal slaves you know Austin."

"They're not my _personal_ slaves V," he said, rolling his eyes, "I got them to do the other boy's cars too."

Behind him, several of the teens laughed.

"And I _did_ pay them," he continued with a smirk, "I passed on some of my expert martial arts knowledge."

Videl immediately looked angered, whilst Gohan couldn't help but let out an amused snort.

At once, Austin's eyes snapped to the halfling, his friend's laughter ceasing abruptly.

"You something to say, pipsqueak?" he snarled, sizing him up.

Before the young saiyan could open his mouth, Videl stepped in between them, a wide grin playing on her lips.

"Austin, this is Gohan. Gohan here actually _made_ it through the preliminaries today."

The young saiyan blinked in surprise, he had never had Videl stick up for him before. He quite liked the feeling.

Austin scoffed, "Yeah right, this tattooed freak actually scored high enough to get into the finals? He doesn't even look like a fighter."

"And just what, pray tell, makes you an expert martial artist?" the halfling challenged, his anger rising.

"I just happen to be one of Mister Satan's best students," he snarled, his thugs nodding proudly behind him.

"I thought you said you were an expert, not an amateur," the halfling smirked, causing several people to gasp around him.

Austin looked floored, silence encompassed the room, and Gohan wasn't quite sure just when the music had been switched off. But it seemed all eyes were upon them, as Austin stalked towards him in the most threatening manner he could muster.

" _What_ did you say?" he seethed, his nose almost touching the teens.

The young saiyan sighed, folding his arms across his chest, "Don't tell me you're deaf as well as stupid."

Gohan saw the punch coming, but he made no effort to move. Austin ripped off his shirt in a blind fury, throwing it to the wayside before his eyes narrowed maliciously at the young saiyan. With an almighty roar, he got into a mediocre stance, drawing back his fist before launching it at the teen.

Fuck me, Gohan thought as he eyed his attackers stance. He only called him an amateur to insult him, but he didn't actually think he was _this_ bad.

He yawned loudly, the punch slowly drawing inwards. He could easily intercept it if he wanted to; dodge it, even hit him first. But Austin's attack was so slow that he felt his mind wandering.

 _I wonder if Erasa has any triple sec? I can make some awesome cocktails with triple sec…_

Austin's feral cry barely reached his ears, as he checked his pockets, _How many cigarettes have I got left?…Three? Ah shit, I'm gonna have to go and get some more…_

The hit was coming, aiming for Gohan's cheek, a slight rush of wind brushed past his fringe as the halfling finally looked up.

 **CRACK**

The sound of breaking bones filled the air, as Austin's fist connected with Gohan's face. There was a pregnant pause, before Austin cried out in agony, dropping to his knees and grasping his broken fingers.

The young saiyan sighed heavily at the blabbering mess of the teen upon the floor. The room was stunned into silence, especially Videl, who was positively gawking at him.

Shit, maybe he shouldn't have done that.

But Gohan was too angry to have done the logical thing and feigned an injury. The git needed to be taken down a peg or two in his opinion.

"Y-you bastard!" Austin screeched, clambering shakily to his feet, "Your face broke my hand!"

"Actually, I'll think you'll find that _you_ broke your hand. On my face," explained the young saiyan.

The embarrassed teen growled, before turning to his friends, "C-come on, let's go."

He was half way out the door when he snapped his head towards Videl, "I should have known you'd be one to put out for such a _freak_!"

Gohan instantly regretted not hitting him, his eyes flashing green for a moment as he watched the boy run out into the hallway, followed by his fear stricken cronies. But the young saiyan couldn't contemplate doing anything further, as suddenly, the room erupted into cheers.

"That was bloody amazing!" Erasa squealed, pouncing on him as a gaggle of excitable teens surrounded him.

"INSANE!"

"BRILLAINT MATE!"

"How the hell did you _do_ that?" exclaimed Sharpener, he seemed impressed.

"Er, I dunno," Gohan laughed nervously, realising he had indeed gone too far, "Just luck I suppose?"

"Luck?" Sharpener laughed, clapping him on the back, "Bollocks! You're a machine! Oi Henrik! Get Gohan over here a drink will you?"

The party had certainly escalated after all the excitement, and Gohan found he was enjoying himself a little more. It didn't take long for the majority of people to become infatuated by him, and he soon found himself drinking and dancing in the centre of the room, surrounded by throngs of teenagers.

He even did a few tequila slammers with Sharpener and Angela.

Several boys heartily challenged him to arm wresting, which of course he won every time, but was gentle enough not to break anyones arm. Eventually, the room was getting way too hot for his liking, and he quietly slipped outside for a cigarette.

To his surprise, did Videl follow him out onto the balcony. Her brow was furrowed into a deep frown as she opened her mouth to say something but managed to fall over her shoes in the process.

"Woah!" Gohan chuckled, catching her swiftly as she toppled over, "Just how much have you had?"

"Shut up," she growled, composing herself, though her face was slightly red from the buzz of alcohol, "It's these bloody _shoes_!"

The young saiyan chuckled, feeling a little giddy himself, "Not used to wearing heels eh?"

Videl sighed, sitting on the wall and rubbing her ankles.

That was all the confirmation Gohan needed as he snorted to himself, grabbing his dwindling pack of cigarettes.

"Can I have one?" asked Videl, catching the teen a little off guard.

"But you don't smoke," he blurted before he could catch himself.

"How do you know?" she mused, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, you just don't look like the kind of girl that would smoke is all…" he said dumbly, "You are Satan City's golden girl after all."

"Shut up and hand one over," she demanded, rolling her eyes, "Just don't tell, alright?"

He couldn't help but laugh as she tried to smoke, having a small coughing fit before shooting him a glare.

"I can't believe you did that earlier," she quipped after a while, "Austin is such a dick."

"I gathered," said the halfling with a wry smile, "So, an old boyfriend of yours?"

"He wishes," Videl scoffed, "He's been following me around like a lost puppy ever since he joined my dad's gym about a year ago."

"Funny though," she frowned, taking a more confident puff of her cigarette, "I don't understand why you didn't at least try to hit him."

"There was no point, " he shrugged, "I would have won anyway."

She blinked, "That's bold of you."

"Well, he did break his hand on my face," he laughed, without thinking.

"That's right," she said, giving him an incredulous stare, "rather odd, don't you think?"

"No not really," the young teen quickly saved, "did you see the way he held his fist? Any one would have broke their hand if they tried to land a hit like that. It's not my fault the git can't punch properly."

Videl's eyes lingered on him for a moment, before she sighed, casting her gaze up towards the stars, "I suppose you're right. Sorry, it's just…"

"Just?" he pressed, though he was afraid of the answer.

"It doesn't matter," she shook him off, before flashing him a smile, causing his heart to skip a beat.

Papaya island was nothing short of picturesque at night time, the velvet sky so clear that one could see the milky way stretching far overhead. Though Gohan; a young man who had always been fascinated by the vastness of space, could only appreciate what lay underneath the twinkling atmosphere.

Videl's sapphire eyes seemed to sparkle in the starlight, her ivory skin bathed in the shadows created by the circling orbs above. As the party went on through to the early hours, the young saiyan couldn't help but notice that his throat ran dry every time he averted his eyes to steal another glimpse of her. The hem of her midnight dress trailing behind her as she walked, her abandoned heels swinging from her wrist as she danced the night away with her friends.

As it turned out, Videl was staying in the same hotel as he in one of the penthouse suits. So when the party began to gradually disband, they ended up walking back together.

Videl had pulled her hair up into a high pony tail, as if to allow the cool salty breeze of the island to brush across her cheeks more freely. Gohan too, had his collar undone and had rolled his sleeves up due to the warmth of the night.

The air was still and peaceful, and Gohan could hear the ocean distantly lapping against the shore as they walked through the darkened streets.

Videl looked back at him, catching him staring and offering him a small smile before resuming her walk, her shoes swinging by her side.

"So," the young saiyan quirked, a smile playing on his lips, "What made you wear those things in the first place if you can't walk in them?"

"Erasa and Angela," she sighed with a hint of loathing as she shook her head, "They said that they would make me look more 'womanly'."

Gohan blinked. From what he could remember, she was certainly all woman.

"That reminds me," Videl continued, quirking an eyebrow, "Angela told me what happened between you two."

The teenager cringed, "That was a long time ago, and it wasn't anything serious."

"I should hope not," she scoffed, "You wouldn't get away with skipping out on _me_ like that."

Gohan laughed nervously.

"Don't worry," the girl continued, mistaking his nervousness, "Angela's not the type of girl to obsess over someone for too long, she'll get over it."

"Well, thanks," he mustered weakly, feeling incredibly awkward under her stare.

Videl quirked her head towards him, "So are you as much of a bad boy as Angela is making you out to be?"

"Let's just say I'm probably not the kind of bloke someone would want to introduce to their parents," he chuckled nervously, this was not going well.

"Oi Gohan!"

Aaaaaaand it just got worse.

The young saiyan looked up as he and Videl approached the hotel, they were just about the enter the foyer when he spotted a giggling Goten and Trunks peering at him from over the balcony a few floors up.

"What are you doing Gohan?" his little brother blinked, sharing an identical mischievous grin with the young prince, "Mum and Dad said that you're late! They've been looking for you everyyyyywhere!"

"I don't care!" Gohan sang back, as Videl cocked her head curiously, "Shouldn't you two be in bed?"

"Mummy!" Goten called behind him, "I've found him! He's with a girl!"

"Ooh you're in troooouuuuubbbllleee," Trunks giggled.

Gohan growled, yelling up to them, "I'll be up in a minute alright? Kami, I'm just going to walk Videl back to her room and -"

"He said he's going back to her room Mummy!" Goten shouted.

The young saiyan looked towards the girl in alarm, "I didn't mean it like that."

"WHAT?!" came his mother's shriek from above, "He had better not be! Son Gohan you get yourself up here right this -!"

Videl chuckled as Chi-Chi continued to rant, "I'd better go, my dad will be wondering where I am. Don't worry, my dad will probably kick off about me being out so late too."

"Well that makes me feel loads better," he huffed sarcastically, causing her to grin, "Good luck with your dad."

"Good luck with your mum," she said with a smile, and then she was gone.

After a rather heated shouting match with his mother from the street, subsequently waking the majority of the hotel's occupants up, the young saiyan finally clambered into bed. Gokuto was sound asleep surprisingly, his small body curled up into a ball next to him.

Gohan's mouth was dry and tasted of tequila, yet he was too tired to bother to go and get a drink from the kitchen. Instead, the young halfling closed his eyes as soon as his head hit the pillow, thoughts of Videl Satan filling his dreams.

 **xxxx**

The bright May sun eagerly greeted the sleepy isle of Papaya, shining through the windows of Le Satane hotel, it's dazzling beams streaming though the pane, awakening its occupants. The smell of eggs and bacon wafted through the corridors, as fighters and their families got ready for the junior tournament that would be held later that day.

"I cannot believe you actually got Mum to buy you one of those things," Gohan drawled as the group walked through the tournament grounds.

"Oh come on Gohan don't be like that, I think it's really cool having a superhero for a son!" said Goku, pushing the button on his new action figure.

" _I'm here to fuck shit up and drink beer, and I just finished my beer!"_

"He does seem to swear a lot though," his father frowned.

"You would too if you knew the amount of crap I had to deal with," Gohan mumbled quietly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing," the teenager sighed, as he briskly walked in front of the group. He had made the wise decision to strap Gokuto into his pushchair, as the toddler had been very excitable that morning. It took both Goku and Gohan to get him into the contraption.

For now though, the littlest saiyan was behaving, albeit with a particularly deep scowl upon his chubby features. Goten and Trunks were keeping up with the pram, skipping along happily, already dressed in their fighting attire as the group walked them to the waiting area.

He caught his father smiling at his brother with a strong sense of pride, and Gohan couldn't help but feel proud of the little bugger himself.

"Look Gohan! There it is!" Goten called, tugging on the his jeans, "Wow, are all those kids fighting too?"

"Looks that way," he replied as he adjusted his sunglasses, his other hand steadying the pushchair.

It seemed that many parents and instructors had come to see off their children and students before the Junior Tournament started. Kids, all under sixteen stood getting lectures from their respective elder's and sizing one another up. Like the adult fighters, they came in every shape and size, yet not one of them looked any younger than Goten.

Only Goku, Chi-Chi, Vegeta, Bulma, Bulla, Gohan and Gokuto had come to see the two youngsters off, the rest of their group had gone to find good seats in the large arena.

"Good luck snot face," said Gohan affectionately when the two families had made their way to the benches, where the boys would be waiting until their fight's started.

The teen bent down to Goten's height, feeling his father's eyes upon them as he tightened the gi sash around his brother's middle.

"And stay strong Trunks, alright?" he added to the other boy, who gave him a curt nod.

"Oh and one more thing," the halfling said sternly, lowering his voice, "No turning super saiyan."

As the boy's let out a whine of protest, as Goku blinked; "S-super saiyan?"

Gohan ignored him, instead focussing his attention on the pouting halfling's, "You heard me, no transforming. It's gonna be annoying as hell if anyone manages links you to The Gold Fighter, _and_ you could hurt someone, am I clear?"

"Fine," Trunks said as he rolled his eyes, "No super saiyan."

"Yeah, we'll be careful Gohan," said Goten.

"Good," the teen grinned, ruffling his hair.

"Tch," Vegeta scoffed from behind them, he had been unusually quiet all morning, and Gohan could only make an estimated guess as to why he sounded so groggy. "I'd say let them have their fun, but I'm not willing to get into a screaming match with the eldest brat."

"Aw," Gohan cooed mockingly, "You got a little hangover Veggie? That's cute."

"Fuck off."

"Well I think it's a good idea," said Bulma, shooting her husband a glare, "It might make the fights a little fairer."

"Who cares about being fair?" Vegeta scowled, "It's a fighting tournament woman, not a game of chess."

Ignoring the couple's bickering, Goku moved over and ruffled his youngest's hair, who gave him a beaming smile.

"You'll do great Goten," he smiled.

"Thanks Daddy!" the boy grinned back.

"See you later sweetie," Chi-Chi called, enveloping him in a hug and kissing his hair, "Try not to beat up the other kids too badly."

"Okay!" said Goten, before bidding a short fair well to a still scowling Gokuto.

With final 'good lucks' shared, the two boy's scurried off into the sea of pint-sized competitors.

 **xxxx**

Gohan yawned loudly, leaning over the barricade that stood above the stands. From here, the gang had a very good view of the arena below, where the junior competition was due to start any minute.

The stands were packed full of excitable spectators, whom the majority were Mister Satan fans; judging from the amount of 'Team Satan!' banners and 'We heart the Champ!' confectionary that littered their clothing.

The crowd were starting to get restless, cheering and chanting various songs that the young saiyan didn't recognise. He had been quite shocked at first when they had reached the top of the arena, he didn't think he had ever seen so many people in one place before.

He was excited of course, to see Goten and Trunks go all out. It was only inevitable that they end up in the final together, and the rest of the gang thought so too. Gohan could still hear his father and Vegeta bickering about which of their sons would beat the other - he smirked, seeing their old rivalry rekindled.

He had already made full use of the hotdog stand, the vender of which had moved away from their group after Gohan had ordered twenty to share between himself and Gokuto. They had nearly eaten the poor man out of a job.

The teenager looked down at his two year old, who was currently munching on the last hotdog, which was originally part of Gohan's half. But he wasn't one to complain when the boy was settled, he had barely escaped a temper tantrum from him that morning, he certainly didn't want to jinx another one.

Gohan turned his attention back to the platform in the centre of the arena, the marble tiles gleaming brilliantly in the summer sun. He stretched out his tail in boredom, swinging it side to side as he let out another huge yawn.

"Ugh, I'm tired," he said helplessly, resting his chin on his arms.

Piccolo snorted from beside him, his green arms folded across his chest, "and whose fault is that?"

The teenager rolled his eyes, "Oh come on, I didn't mean to be out so late, I just lost track of time."

"Your father told you to be back by midnight."

"Since when have you known me to stick to a curfew?" The young saiyan asked, giving his mentor a pointed look.

Piccolo huffed, "I know that, but your father was worried, he nearly came out to get you until I stopped him."

"I sensed you out with someone else," the Namekian continued, "I didn't want him to walk in on anything untoward."

Gohan scoffed, "Generous of you Piccolo, but I don't think there's any danger of that anytime soon."

"Why not?"

"As much as I love you Mister Piccolo, I would rather not get into my sex life right now," said the teen, lowering his voice so that the other's couldn't hear.

His mentor snorted, "You're not usually so private about it."

The halfling shrugged, leaning against the barrier once more with his chin in his arms.

"What's going on kid?" Piccolo pressed, "At first I thought you were being like this because of your father, now I'm thinking it's something much more than that."

"It's sort of both actually," said Gohan, his eyes snapping towards his mentor, "promise you won't tell?"

With the Namekian's promise did the young saiyan finally explain the sordid love triangle of he, Videl and The Gold Fighter. There was a thick, eerie silence when he had finished, which confused the young halfling to no end, when suddenly he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head.

His eyes watered, and he managed to slop half his drink of cola over his shirt. "Damn it Piccolo! What the bloody hell was that for?!"

"What do you think you're doing?" Piccolo leered, his voice lowered to a harsh whisper.

"What?" the halfling asked in bewilderment, rubbing the sore spot on his head.

Piccolo pinched the bridge of his nose in despair, "I can't believe you Gohan."

"What I do?" Gohan frowned, as Vegeta suddenly walked up beside him, his features contorted into one of distaste.

"I swear if that idiot Kakarot makes _one more_ remark about how purple isn't a real hair colour, I am going to-" he stopped suddenly, as he caught the furious look on Piccolo's face and Gohan's aghast expression. "Please tell me he didn't knock anyone else up."

Gohan scowled.

"Gohan's been copulating with Mister Satan's daughter," Piccolo sighed.

" _Piccolo!"_ The young saiyan seethed.

He groaned, as the prince looked towards him, then back to Piccolo, then back to him, before letting out an loud bark of laughter. His mentor's scowl only deepened, as Vegeta continued to hysterics.

"Ignore him Gohan," said Piccolo, his dark eyes hardening, "What you did was completely irresponsible-"

"It was one time! And I did use protection you know-"

"- thats not the point!" he growled, "The point is is that I never thought you would stoop so low to get revenge."

"I think it's brilliant," smirked Vegeta, composing himself.

"R-revenge?" Gohan gaped, "You think I slept with Videl out of revenge?!"

Piccolo sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I know how much you dislike Hercule Gohan, for the things he's said about you as The Gold Fighter, but sleeping with his daughter just to get back at him-"

"Hold on, hold on!" he defended,"You honestly think I'd sleep with a girl out of revenge? What kind of a person do you think I am?!"

Piccolo and Vegeta exchanged a glance, before giving him a pointed look.

The young saiyan fumed, "Look, I didn't mean to! It was an accident!"

Vegeta snorted, "What happened brat, did you trip?"

"I'm honestly regretting telling you this now," Gohan sighed.

"So how did she not find out your secret identity? Did you keep your mask on?" the prince continued to smirk.

"So what if I did?!" Gohan yelled hotly, his cheeks burning crimson as Vegeta continued to roar with laughter, "You going to give me a hard time for that too?!"

"It doesn't matter anyway," the teenager sighed, "I can never tell her my secret, or that I like her, she'd kill me."

"Then if you really like her, why don't you try to spend more time with her just being yourself?" offered Piccolo, suddenly a little ashamed of his outburst.

The young saiyan didn't have chance to retort, as a loud cheer erupted around them.

Gohan took hold of the barricades, leaning forwards as the announcer stepped onto the platform, his sunglasses glinting in the sunlight and microphone in hand.

" **HEYYYY ALL YOU CRAZY FANS!** " he cried, his voice echoing over the gigantic sound system, " **Before we start, let's make sure that you have all come to the right place! Does anybody here LOVE martial arts?!** "

The reply was deafening, as the stands erupted. Gohan glanced at Piccolo, whose pointed ears twitched slightly from the noise.

" **Well don't you move an inch because your at the one and only World Martial Arts Arena where today we'll be holding a most special event, The Junior World Martial Arts Championship!** " he continued, looking utterly ecstatic from the crowds response. " **Our sponsors have been very generous this year, so that means that our winner will take home ten MILLION Zeni, with our runner up taking five! And we also have a special prize going to our Junior winner, because they'll be going head to head with the legend himself, MISTER SATAN!** "

He sighed as the crowd screamed and swooned around him, he couldn't help but wonder how Videl put up with the big oaf every day.

 **"Now ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats! And let's get ready to RUMBLE!"**


	25. Goten VS Trunks

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

 **Goten VS Trunks**

 **xxxx**

" **ARE YOU READY?!** "

The buzz of excitement around the arena hadn't worn thin by any means, as thirty-five children ranging from ages six to fifteen lined up on the edge of the platform.

Gohan could hear his mother and Bulma cheering loudly as they could sight of the young halfling's. Goten waved a little sheepishly to the audience, whilst Trunks stayed cool and collected, sizing up his opponents out of the corner of his eye.

" **The same rules apply here as in the Adult Division folks, so if a competitor gives up, lands outside of the ring, is knocked down for ten counts or looses consciousness will loose it all! Similarly, if another fighter enters the ring while a match is taking place, they will be disqualified!** "

"Ah, same old same old," said Tien, "it hasn't changed that much."

"The rings a lot bigger than last time though," Gohan heard his father pipe up.

Piccolo's lips twitched, "Good, we'll need it."

The tournament began just as Gohan had expected it to, boring as balls.

Most of the young fighter's gave up after ten seconds, one even cried loudly when his opponent hit him in the face, and Gohan guessed him to have been at least twelve. The teenager glanced down at Gokuto, who was poking his messy head through the gap in the barriers, still confined by his safety straps, he couldn't help but think the toddler could hold his own better than most of the older kids. And that was just by his temper alone.

Fortunately for the halfling, his boredom was short lived as the announcer called, " **Next up we have eight year old Trunks, verses fifteen year old Idasa!** "

"Yeah go Trunks!" Gohan called, cupping his hands over his mouth as the lavender haired boy came into view.

"Twunks! Twunks!" Gokuto mimicked jumping around in his buggy as soon as he spotted his older friend.

Trunks' opponent was a tall lanky teen, with his bright blonde hair chopped into an unflattering mullet. He wore bandages around his wrists and calves, with a dirty brown pair of shorts hanging to his knees. His scowling features were a sharp contrast to Trunks' calm ones. The little prince's cool blue eyes all but scanned the arena, not even bothering to look at the other boy.

"Yay! Show him what you've got Trunks!" Bulma cried, waving her arms in the air almost frantically.

"Do your best!" Krillin called, before grimacing slightly, "Er actually, Trunks' best might hurt someone… I mean uh, do alright mate!"

Gohan shook his head in amusement, before his ears were promptly offended by a short stocky woman standing a few feet away.

"GO IDASA! KNOCK THAT LITTLE PUNK OUT! YEAHHH!"

The woman had awful permed hair, which was dyed to a most unnatural shade of red. Her tight crimson dress clung to her bulging hips and waist, a pearl neckless protruding from underneath her many chins.

The gang looked at her curiously, as she gave them a smug look, "Your kid's got nothing on my big strong Idasa, he ain't got no chance."

"Ugh, karate mums," Chi-Chi shook her head in disapproval, before shouting her own appreciation for Trunks.

Gohan instinctively moved a little closer to Gokuto, pre-empting a cat fight that he did not want to get in the middle of.

 **DONG.**

" **LET'S GOOOOO!** " Mr Alonso's voice carried over the stands, as Idasa slipped into fighting stance.

Though Trunks did not move.

Gohan caught the flicker of the boy's pupils as he stared at his opponent. The young saiyan smirked, he was checking for any openings in his stance, of which Gohan could see several.

"Oh, I wish they would have paired Idasa up with someone bigger," Idasa's mother cooed, "This won't even warm my boy up!"

The teenager frowned, good Kami this women was annoying, and he could tell that Bulma was just about ready to wallop her, of which he wouldn't have the heart to stop her from doing so.

Gohan looked back towards the arena, where Idasa was saying something to Trunks, leering right over his head. The eight year old barely squared up to the boy's waist, yet looked unfazed by the teen's jests.

"Huh? You gonna come at me or what you little shrimp?!" Gohan heard Idasa shout angrily.

Trunks all but raised an eyebrow, before he slunk to the floor, pushing out his leg so that it swung underneath the boy's ankles, causing him to drop to the ground with an audible thud. Not a second more did the halfling raise the offending leg again, kicking Idasa forcefully in the ribcage and sending him flying high into the air.

The audience gasped in shock, as Trunks began to walk away, and no sooner did the young saiyan step off the platform did Idasa come crashing back down on the titles - unconscious.

" **This boy is out cold!** " Alonso confirmed, motioning some nearby tournament officials to bring over a stretcher, " **Trunks wins!** "

"Yay! Twunks! Twunks!" Gokuto squealed happily as the crowd erupted into cheers for the winner.

The teenager grinned, before glancing over to Idasa's mother, who looked as though she was about ready to pull her hair out. Bulma and Chi-Chi sat looking incredibly smug, whilst the rest of the gang looked rather bored.

"I guess we won't see much action until Goten and Trunks fight," his father said in disappointment, coming up to lean against the railings beside him.

"Oh you'll see action alright," smirked Vegeta, "The action of my son pummelling your's into the ground."

After a few more rounds of sitting watching children ineffectively cry at each other, with only a few actually landing a punch, Gokuto was getting increasingly frustrated, something that Gohan did _not_ want to deal with right now.

"'Kuto sit still," he said gently, as the toddler continued to fidget.

"No!" Gokuto whined, struggling against the belt that held him, causing the teen to sigh. He couldn't help but feel sorry for him, even he was getting annoyed sitting in the summer heat with nothing to do.

"Gokuto, come on," the teenager cooed, "It won't be long now, Goten's going to be fighting soon."

This seemed to settle the boy for a while, as he stopped wiggling, his emerald eyes suddenly fixed towards the podium, although he still pouted.

Gohan sighed in relief, as the announcer called his brother's name.

" **And next up we have six year old Goten, against fourteen year old Ekosa!** "

"WOO! GO EKOSA! RIP THAT TINY KID LIMB FROM LIMB!"

Gohan rolled his eyes, just how many children did this obnoxious woman have?

"Come on Goten!" his father called happily as the young boy emerged along with his opponent.

Goten looked incredibly nervous, his obsidian eyes darting quickly around the stadium as the brown haired Ekosa smirked down at him.

"You can do it Goten!" Gohan yelled as loudly as he could, hoping the boy could hear him.

"Pfft, I doubt it," the woman next to them remarked snidely, "My boy's going to squash that half-pint like a little flea."

"Say, wasn't that _my_ little boy that knocked out your big strong son with one tiny kick?" Bulma retorted, smirking as the woman fumed.

"Your kid just got lucky lady!" she growled back.

The halfling snorted as the match began, yet all Ekosa managed to do was tire himself out by running circles around Goten, lashing out now and again with a badly aimed jab, which the six year old was able to block effortlessly with his finger.

In less than a minute, it was over.

Goten shrugged in dismay before striking the older boy in the chin. Ekosa was stunned, his eyes glazing over as he joined his brother in a similar state of unconsciousness.

"Woohoo! Yeah alright Goten!" Goku cheered loudly, as Goten bowed respectfully towards the crowd, before skipping off to join Trunks behind the arena.

"What was that you were saying?" Bulma grinned wickedly, as Ekosa's mother screamed in anguish.

"That's it! You're going to get it! I'm going to -"

 **WAM.**

Gohan blinked, as the large woman toppled to the floor, curtesy of his mother's fist.

"Come on, who do you think taught him?" Chi-Chi said smugly, dusting off her palms as the gang looked towards her in awe.

"What?" asked Gohan, tearing his eyes away from the scene as he felt his father's eyes upon him.

"I just thought you might have taught him, mostly, " said Goku awkwardly, glancing between his triumphant wife and the arena, "Huh, I thought I recognised that right hook."

 **xxxx**

" **And here we have it folks, the final round!** "

Gohan quickly stood up from where he was sitting, he had spent the last half an hour having his tail being chewed on by a restless Gokuto. He couldn't help but zone out himself as Goten and Trunks effortlessly won their own respective matches, securing their place against each other in the final bout.

"'Kuto no," said Gohan, pulling his tail away from the boy as he made a grab for it again.

The fur was already sodden enough as it was. The toddler's eyes watered as the furry appendage moved out of reach and tucked itself around Gohan's waist.

"Don't be sad kiddo. Look, Goten and Trunks are up!" he offered, pointing towards the arena, where they we're already standing opposite one another on the platform.

Both of them had a fierce look in their eyes as Mr Alonso introduced them, and it scarily reminded Gohan of his father and Vegeta's face off when the Saiyan's first came to Earth.

" **These two young warriors have worked their way up to the final round, and that's not surprising seen as they're best friends!" Alonso informed, "They usually train together in the woods, but now they've moved to a different stage, The World Martial Arts Stadium! Wow! Amazing! Let's hear it for Trunks and Goten!** "

The Z-gang erupted into cheers, his mother and Bulma going crazy. But they weren't the only ones that were cheering them on.

"Yeah lay it on him Trunks!" came a voice from the crowd.

"Goten! Goten!" came another.

Gohan grinned, looks like they had some fan's already.

" **Fighters please take your positions!** "

At the announcers voice, the young halfling's slipped into their respective stances.

Trunks', Gohan could tell, was mostly reminiscent of Vegeta's, strong, offensive and pointed as his eyes bore into his opponents. Goten, on the other hand, had a rather unusual style, their mother's regal posture with Gohan's low defence shining through. Both halfling's looked serious, the tension radiated from the arena and into the stands. They were both going for the win.

 **DONG.**

No sooner had the bell rung, did Goten and Trunks leap at each other. A sonic boom cut through the stadium as they blocked one another's attack. Their forearms were locked together, their teeth gritted as they struggled to push the other backwards.

Gohan was glad to see that they had kept their power levels low, although it wasn't suppressed by any means. He could feel that Trunks' was a little higher than his brother's, although with Goten's strength they looked to be evenly matched.

With a low grunt, Trunks broke through the hold, pushing his friend back on his heels as he aimed a series of punches and kicks to Goten's upper body. The younger boy blocked each attack, crouching his knees in order to aim a jab at his elder's stomach.

Trunks parried the punch, spinning fluidly in the air to create a distance between them. It seemed Goten had caught onto what the young prince was up to, and flipped backwards to the edge of the ring, where both of them used their toes to push off from the tiles and careen towards each other with the speed and agility of a sparrow.

They met in midair, trading blows immediately. Their speed increased as their knuckles brushed together, Gohan could see his brother stick his tongue to the side of his mouth in concentration.

Trunks span, a kick awaiting Goten's head which the younger saiyan quickly dodged, the bangs of his hair flying upwards as he swooped underneath Trunks. But the little prince didn't let the boy get away that easily, and quickly matched his drop in the air before continuing his barrage of punches, pushing him back.

"Come on Goten!" Gohan cried, "Don't get distracted, find an opening!"

At his brother's words, Goten's eyes hardened, grasping Trunks by the elbow and pulling the boy closer, bringing up his knee and embedding it sharply in his gut.

Trunks quickly recovered from the hit, using Goten's knee for momentum as he spun to his side, a well aimed kick suddenly catching the younger boy off guard as it came crashing into his ribs.

Goten growled, his obsidian eyes focussed as he flung himself towards his opponent once more. Yet the boy's following punch hit nothing but air, as Trunks swiftly phased out, appearing above Goten before his boot connected with the boy's jaw.

Goten's head jolted from the force, but he soon regained his composure, a loud crack echoing over the stadium as Trunk's cheekbone met his outstretched fist. The younger boy phased out, as Trunks' retaliated, his elbow missing Goten's nose by a millisecond.

A shocked cry escaped the crowd, frozen in awe, when Goten reappeared, striking Trunks' in the back and causing him to fall forwards. But the older boy didn't let up, instead swiftly backflipped over his younger and knocked him out of the sky with a hammer fist to the skull.

Goten cried out, as he was sent toppling to the ground, but managed to bring himself to a halt mere inches off the grass. The young halfling gritted his teeth, elevating his ki to fire himself towards his best friend, only for his attack to be blocked by his elder.

To the untrained eye, the halfling's were moving incredibly fast. But Gohan could see that they were holding back a little. They were trying to be technical, using their minds as well as their strength.

The two boy's knew each other like the back of their hand, and that included their moves. They had to be clever in order to gain the upper hand, and the teenager was actually getting excited watching them, the familiar thrill of the fight causing his blood to pump a little quicker around his veins.

 **BOOM.**

The stadium shuddered by the force of the hit, as the two halfling's met each other in the air once more, their fists cracking one another simultaneously across the jaw. The small warriors backed off, landing effortlessly at opposite ends of the podium, their deep frowns dissipating as identical, cheerful grins replaced them.

"Wow they're really something aren't they?" he heard his father chuckle, "Just look at them go!"

Vegeta grunted in approval from behind them, as the stunned silence from the arena was soon broken by an all out cheer.

The audience were loving every second, it had been a long time since they had seen fighting of this standard.

"HA!" Trunks shouted suddenly, aiming a small ball of ki into his opponents face.

Distracted for a second, Goten coughed and spluttered, allowing the purple haired prince to deliver a crushing blow to his ribcage.

He span wildly in the air, before managing to catch himself, glaring daggers at his friend.

"No fair!" Gohan heard the boy shout, "Gohan said we had to be careful!"

"He was referring to us transforming," Trunks smirked, "He didn't say anything about Ki blasts."

Gohan's eyes widened. He was right, he hadn't, and all of a sudden wished he had have done.

"Ah cool!" chimed Goten, an enormous grin spreading across his features, "Then you won't mind if I do this!"

Goten crouched into a deep stance, cupping his hands to his side in one fluid motion.

Trunks laughed, "Let me guess, Gohan taught you that?"

The boy nodded before reciting a familiar chant; "Ka…meh…ha…meh…"

"Wait," Trunks quirked, "Did he teach you how to control it?"

"HAAAAAAA!"

"Goten no!" Gohan yelped, as blue energy erupted from his brother's palms, thrusting them outwards towards his opponent.

Trunks side stepped the blast easily, as it fired past him, missing the roof of the temple by inches. Yet the heat from the Kamehameha had singed the thatched roof, causing a small torrent of smoke to rise from it.

The teenager face-palmed as he heard his brother let out a burst of nervous laughter.

"Whoops," said Goku, "Looks like he needs a little more practice on his control."

"I'm working on it!" Gohan snarled.

"Pwetty!" Gokuto laughed, as the crowd erupted into aghast whispers about using fireworks and disqualifications.

" **Incredible!** " The announcer called, once he had recovered from his shock, " **This looks to be our most exciting Junior Final yet! What a match!** "

"Well then," Trunks grinned, slipping into a flawless stance, "Looks like we can step it up a notch."

Goten's eyes glinted playfully, as he replicated Trunks' move, the crowd going wild once more.

 **xxxx**

Son Gokuto was not unlike any other two year old boy.

He beheld the world he lived in with a curious disposition that more often than not got him into trouble. Having a quarter of saiyan blood running through his veins only exemplified his inquisitive outlook, and of course drew forward his primal instinct to join in on a fun looking fight.

He could feel the energies of Goten and Trunks dancing rhythmically around the stadium, his fluffy brown tail swishing side to side as his emerald eyes easily followed the young hybrids. He could sense Trunks' life force jump and dart over to the other side of the arena, his gaze already finding the halfling before his uncle did, resulting in Goten getting flung through the air from a sharp uppercut to the chin.

"Wow, I can barely keep up!" he heard Mister Krillin call from behind him.

Gokuto tried to look around him, but found that he could barely see over the sides of his pushchair. The belts that were holding him in his seat were starting to agitate the little boy, and although he could still feel the two fighters, he couldn't see them anymore as they sought to continue their fight above the clouds.

Bright flashes of light cascaded over the stadium, creating yellow and blue cracks of lightening in the sky. The crowd 'ooo'ed and 'ahhhh'd, as the energies moved swiftly across the sky.

With nothing to watch in front of him, Gokuto was getting increasingly bored. The toddler had never had to sit still for so long.

Slowly, he started to kick the barrier in front of him, the resounding noise echoing from the metal against his shoe.

 **Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang.**

 **Clang. Clang.**

 **Clang. Clang. Clang.**

 **Clang. Clang. Clang.**

This went on for about a minute, until his foot was firmly grabbed by his father.

"'Kuto, stop it," scolded Gohan, the young man's onyx eyes boring into his.

Gokuto pouted, bringing back his foot to rest upon the foot holds.

Satisfied, his father turned back around, casting his gaze up towards the sky.

Gokuto swished his tail in annoyance. He leaned forwards with difficulty, wondering if his father would let him play with Bulla or Marron, but the girl's were quite far down the barriers, clinging to their mother's as they watched the fight.

"Ice-cream! Get your ice-cream here!"

Gokuto's eyes lit up suddenly, as the vender shuffled through the stands. The youngest saiyan drooled, what better way to satisfy his boredom?

"Daddy? Daddy! Daddy!" he cried, as Gohan looked towards him, catching the greedy look in his eyes.

"No Gokuto, you just ate twelve hotdogs."

"But-But-" he pined, the vender passing right by.

"No kiddo, you'll spoil your dinner," his father replied gently, "Now be a good boy and watch Uncle Goten, okay?"

Gokuto let out an exasperated whine, flopping back in his pushchair in defeat.

"What's up with him son?" he heard his grandfather call.

Gohan sighed, "He gets like this sometimes, it's a long time for him to sit still for."

Understatement of the century.

Gokuto's eyes flickered over to the rest of the gang. Papa Ox was standing near Grandma, both of them cheering Goten on. Grandpa was stood next to Daddy and Mister Piccolo, all of whom were fixated on the fight.

Paying no attention to him.

"BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP HAVE YOU ANY WOOL?!" Gokuto sang loudly, several people seated in the row in front of him turning to look at him, "YES SIR, YES SIR, THREE BAGS FULL-"

"Someone shut that kid up!"

"I can't concentrate enough as it is!"

"-ONE FOR THE MASTER AND ONE FOR THE DAME, AND ONE FOR THE LITTLE BOY-"

"Gokuto be quiet!" his father hissed, kneeling down to his level as the small crowd shot daggers at the pair of them.

"I'm BORED Daddy," Gokuto whined, his volume level not subsiding, "Play with me!"

The teenager sighed heavily, "Daddy will play with you later, but only if you behave."

The toddler was silent, as his father began to rummage underneath the pram, gathering a few building blocks and placing them on his lap.

"Play with those for now."

Gokuto responded by chucking one at his father's head.

"Ow! Bloody hell 'Kuto!" Gohan swore, rubbing the red mark that was rapidly forming on his forehead.

A couple of women tutted in front of them, muttering something about 'teenage parents'.

Gohan frowned, eyeing his young son, "If you're going to throw them then I'll take them away."

Gokuto considered his options, before clutching the blocks protectively to his chest.

"Good," the young saiyan breathed, standing up and taking his place.

It took all of thirty seconds for the building blocks to be confiscated, when the boy had successfully knocked Piccolo's turban off his head.

Although Gohan was rather impressed with his aim, he wasn't so much so with the toddler himself. And after kicking down a metal railing, an ice-cream cone that 'mysteriously' landed on a bald man's head four rows in front, three badly pitched renditions of 'Let it go' from Disney's 'Frozen' and a thorough tongue lashing from his father later - Gokuto was still sat in his pushchair, his arms hugging himself as he silently fumed, and a dummy lodged in his mouth.

Gokuto looked sideways towards his father, whose hair was now even messier from the amount of times he had ran his hands through it out of frustration.

Trunks and Goten were back centre stage, beams of energy firing from their palms and they dived and dodged around one another. The crowd were more riled up than ever. The boy's were evenly matched, competing neck and neck for the title.

Gokuto's green orbs glistened as the light reflected in his eyes, Goten and Trunks looked like they were having a lot more fun than he was in the stuffy old stands.

Maybe they would let him join in if he pestered them enough?

Biting the teat of his dummy, he quickly made his decision, and started to wiggle frantically in his buggy, making tiny grunts as he struggled beneath his restraints.

"Oh Gokuto, what now?" His father sighed, reaching over and trying to get him to sit back up straight.

Gokuto's tail viciously hit him on the nose, as the young man attempted to control him. The toddler cried out in protest, kicking out his arms and legs in a mini tantrum.

"Ugh fine!" Gohan said in defeat, unbuckling the child swiftly from the chair and plonking him down beside him. "Just _behave_ for Daddy, alright?"

Gokuto grinned in triumph behind his dummy, as his father let him go and turned his attention back to the stage. The little hybrid stayed put for a while, his emerald eyes darting around him trying to figure out the best escape route.

He raised an eyebrow, there were a set of stairs near the edge of the platform they stood on, but it looked like a very, very long way down. Someone would be sure to spot him.

But if he ran quickly enough, would they notice?

A loud crackle of energy rippled from the arena below as the crowd erupted into cheers, many spectators standing up on their feet and blocking his view.

"Woohoo! Alright boys! That's the way you do it!" Mister Yamcha cried.

Gokuto stared, everyone was distracted. This was his chance.

The little saiyan slowly backed away from his father, whose long tail was wagging in appreciation of the fight at hand. Instinctively, Gokuto dropped his energy to the pit of his stomach, something he always did when he tried to sneak extra of Grandma's cookies.

With one last glance at the Z-fighter's, who all had their backs turned towards him, he scurried off, jumping swiftly from the platform to the steps and making a dash for it.

If the Z-fighter's weren't so transfixed by the halfling's match, they may have noticed the small commotion coming from the stands below. But to the spectator's that were practically knocked flying by the sudden gust of wind that shot through the stands, they couldn't put a cause to it.

Banners and papers flew out their grasps as they were flung forwards by the sudden force, one unfortunate soul even lost his hotdog in the fray.

Gokuto stumbled a little as he reached the bottom step, using his tail to balance himself whilst he popped the rest of the hotdog into his mouth. He chewed loudly, letting out an almighty belch as he looked back towards the stands.

His eyes widened, he hadn't realised he had been so high up. He couldn't even see his father in amongst the sea of spectators now.

The youngest saiyan stuck his dummy back into his mouth with a loud pop, before he looked wildly around him to see if he had been caught. But only a few men dressed in orange and purple tournament robes lined the barricades surrounding the platform.

Gokuto grinned, they wouldn't be so hard to get past.

Speaking of the platform, Gokuto averted his gaze to Goten and Trunks and let out an excitable gasp. He had never seen them play fight like this before! Their gi's were soiled with dirt and were torn in places, Goten was even sporting a nasty looking purple bruise on his cheek, whilst Trunks' lip was swollen and bloodied.

Their eyes were wild and feral, their limbs blurring in motion as they lifted off the ground once more.

Gokuto's tail wagged in anticipation, a funny feeling stirring at the pit of his stomach. His heart pounded a little faster, the metallic smell of blood mixed with a hint of sweat tickled his nostrils.

"Go'en! Twun's!" he called from behind his dummy, waving frantically from the sidelines.

But his two friends couldn't hear him, too immersed in their match, their senses already flooded by the constant roar of the crowd.

Gokuto frowned, he would have to get closer for them to notice him.

As he was about to make his way to the platform, a soft, warm hand was placed on his shoulder. Gokuto whirled around quickly, thinking he had been caught by his grandmother.

"Little boy, are you lost?" A young woman asked, who was certainly not Grandma Chi-Chi. She had a pretty, heart-shaped face that was framed with long raven hair. Her large sapphire eyes were narrowed in concern as she knelt beside him. "What's your name kid?"

Gokuto took out his dummy slowly, and bit his lip, "My Daddy says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

She laughed softly, smiling at him, "Well your Daddy is right there. But I'm trying to help, my name's Videl," she said, offering an outstretched hand.

Gokuto shook it awkwardly, "Hi."

"Hi," she grinned, releasing him, "So what do you say I help you find your Dad huh? I bet he's worried about you."

The toddler vigorously shook his head, causing the girl to frown, "Nuh uh, I'm bored, I'm going to play!"

Videl broke out into another smile, "Well you can't play here kiddo, there's a very important match going on with those big kids there, see?"

Gokuto looked to where she was pointing, and let out an impatient huff, "I _know_ that. Goten and Twunks won't mind though, they let me play with them all the time!"

Videl gave him a curious stare, "You know those boys?"

"Yep!" He replied, his tail wagging behind him happily, "They're my bestest best fwiends in the whole wide world! Well, Bulla and Mawon too but they're girls and Twunks says that girl's are smelly and doesn't ask them to play wit' us…"

The young woman's eyes suddenly widened, as the boy babbled away, her gaze fixated on his extra limb.

"… I've gotsta go now lady, but I can ask Twunks if you can come and play wit' us later!" Gokuto exclaimed, before slipping out of her grasp and making a break for it across the grass.

"Wait!" Videl cried in panic, "Kid, come back!"

The fight was even more spectacular up close. Gokuto could feel the pulsating waves of energy wash over him as shock wave after shock wave rippled across the grass. His fringe blew back from the force, although he remained upright, the wind brushing through his ebony locks.

Trunks suddenly appeared above Goten, delivering a sharp elbow to his spine and sending him crashing to the tiles. But the six year old only dropped to one knee, his one hand outstretched to steady himself, leaving small cracks in the marble tiles.

Gokuto bounded up to the side of the ring in awe, as Goten pushed off from the ground, cutting through the air like a speeding bullet.

 **THWACK.**

His head collided with his opponents, causing Trunks to let out a growl of pain. His eyes shut together tightly, as Goten continued in his onslaught, pounding him in the abdomen so that he coughed up a wad of mucous.

Trunks cried out in frustration, raising his Ki and blowing the younger boy away from him in an explosive wave.

"That's it!" yelled Trunks, "Have some of this Goten!"

A bright golden light lit up Gokuto's freckled features, as the older boy outstretched his arms to his sides, a glowing ball of energy growing rapidly in each palm.

Goten's eyes widened, quickly jumping into position, a blue orb erupting in his cupped hands.

Gokuto could feel their energies skyrocket from the amount of Ki they poured into their awaiting blasts.

With excitement running through his veins he jumped up, scrambling with some difficulty up onto the platform, "Goten! Twunks! Can I play?"

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The toddler's words were lost on them as they released their attacks. Gold met blue in a blazing swirl of wild energy. A series of desperate shouts reached Gokuto's ears, but he was too transfixed by the power that tingled his senses. It seemed to resonate with every fibre of his being, his dark pupils drinking in the shower of light, the explosion of power warming his insides.

He felt as though something was calling to him, urging him to walk forwards, but it was mixed up with a strangled cry from behind.

He suddenly felt his father's Ki spike from the stands above, as Goten and Trunks continued to overpower each other. Sharp, hot beams started to escape the main blast, heading towards the toddler as it collapsed inwards on itself.

It was raining down like hot fire, scorching the tiles and parts of the grass surrounding the stage. Gokuto could feel the heat prickling his skin, but he couldn't move.

A sharp pain rippled across his skull as the tournament arena started to fade and the delighted cheers of the crowd gradually turned into screams.

 _Fuchsia beams of energy rained from the atmosphere of a long dead planet. How many years he had been fighting, he didn't know, but it felt like an eternity._

 _He suddenly stepped aside as a crackling beam of energy shot past him._

 _Ha, the monster would have to try better than that._

 _He was used to the screams, anguished, frightened and bloodcurdling. They never stopped. Yet he couldn't tell if he was really hearing them, or whether he had finally gone mad._

 _He was told long ago that he would become a legend. All he had to to was find his muse, his reason, his trigger._

 _The wind created from another explosion ruffled past his unruly hair. He spat viciously on the ground, his tail thrashing wildly as he felt more of them die._

 _Raising his head, he could feel the monster coming. The unmistakable sound of his manic laughter rushing through the ever darkening skies and resonating through his ear drums._

 _This time he was prepared, his race were behind him. Slowly, he drew up his palms as the beast opened his mouth, sending another great sphere of energy hurtling towards him._

 **xxxx**

"Gohan?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's Gokuto?"

Gohan looked up from where he was watching his brother fight to meet his father's confused eyes.

"What do you mean?" the teenager frowned, "He's right-"

Gohan stopped short, staring at the spot where his son had been no more than a minute earlier. Blinking rapidly, the halfling looked around him; behind the pram, in front of him, down the barricade - but nothing.

Shit.

The teenager's stomach plummeted, he couldn't sense him anywhere.

How could a little boy just vanish? He had literally just looked down to see Gokuto grinning at him, his little tail wagging as his temper tantrum quickly diminished.

Panic started to rise in his chest, as his father gave him a dumbfounded expression - he couldn't sense him either.

"Gohan, calm down," Goku assured, "He can't have gotten far."

Calm down?! Calm down?! Gohan thought, his onyx eyes darting around the arena. How could he possibly calm down when his son was effectively _missing_? He had never wanted to hit his father so hard in his life. And that was saying something.

"Kid, what's wrong?" came Piccolo's concerned tone, catching onto his pupil's distraught demeanour.

"Gokuto's gone!" exclaimed Gohan, causing several of the gang to look at him in alarm.

The teenager started to pull at his hair, pacing behind the barricade, "I just saw him! I took him out the pushchair because he was playing up, and now- I can't sense him Piccolo!"

The Namekian's eyes hardened, and Gohan instantly knew what he was thinking. With shifty characters like Shin and Kibito hanging around, there's no telling what might have happened.

The young saiyan shook his head, no, it wouldn't do well to think about the possibilities. But how did the toddler manage to slip under their grasp when he was standing right next to the most powerful fighter's in the world? Gohan gritted his teeth in anger, who would dare to even attempt to steal a child that well protected?

"We'll go look for him," Krillin shouted over the cheers of the crowd, the news spreading rapidly between the gang.

He nodded, as he watched Krillin and Yamcha disappear to the other side of the arena. Puar and Oolong had already shape shifted, and were currently swooping over the stands disguised as a couple of seagulls.

"I told your mum to stay here incase he finds his way back," said his father, hurrying back over to him, "Come on, let's look this way."

The teenager followed quickly, running in between the stands as fast as he could, stretching out his senses now and again to try and pick up Gokuto's Ki.

"Watch it punk!" a gruff man called, as he was almost knocked flying by the hybrid.

Gohan ignored him as he jumped in between benches, but still found no sign of his missing son.

He felt sick, the fact that he had spent the last half an hour scolding the boy, only then to have him run off - or worse, made his heart ache. What he wouldn't give to see those bright emerald green eyes again.

Luckily for Gohan he didn't have to wait long.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The young saiyan looked up, as Trunks and Goten illuminated the stands with their energy attacks.

Gohan sighed, he really should have told them to be more careful. It wasn't that pressing seen as there was a good gap between them and the spectators, the worst that could happen is that they accidentally singe the top of the roof again.

They were lucky that they had changed the distance from the audience to the stage, as judging from his mother's accounts from the old tournaments; anyone standing within five metres of an attack like that would be fried.

" **Put on your sunglasses folks, this looks like it's going be a - Oh! My word!** " The announcer's tone suddenly drew into one of panic, his voice echoing around the stadium, " **There's a little boy standing on the platform! Move kid! You'll get hit! Where are his parents?!** "

Gohan's heart began to race, his head snapping to the centre of the arena.

Sure enough, there Gokuto stood, his eyes alight with the glow of the attack that created a fierce wind around him. Tournament officials standing a good distance away were blown off their feet by the force, whereas Gokuto stood still, his hair and tail whipping around behind him.

The teenager swore loudly, as the connected beams quivered, sending loose particles of energy streaming to the ground.

But to his surprise, and utter horror, Gokuto didn't budge. Instead, the boy walked towards the destructive waves, his palms outstretched as if he was trying to catch a hold of them.

He didn't care that he was more than a hundred feet up into the stands, nor that there were a lot of people that would surely see him fly into the stadium. His power spiked, as a white aura built around him and he shot from the benches towards the tournament stage, leaving more than a dozen bewildered spectators in his wake.

It seemed his father and Piccolo had a similar idea, as he could see their tiny specks grow bigger as they hurtled towards the boy.

But suddenly, a sharp cry escaped the oblivious Trunks and Goten as they stopped in their struggle, and let go of the blast.

Gohan's blood ran cold.

The boys were trained well enough to know that if they dispersed a stream of Ki at that distance, then it would simply crash into the ground, creating minimal damage.

That is, if there was no one else standing in it's path.

"GOKUTOOOOO!" Gohan roared, racing towards the small child as fast as he could.

But sadly, it was too late.

The blast connected, illuminating the entire stadium in a greenish hue as the colours of the attacks mingled into one. The teen's boots barely scraped the marble tiles of the platform before he was pushed backwards by the force.

Screams surrounded him, and tournament officials with stretchers and medical bags raced forwards as the light began to die down. He could feel his father, Piccolo and Vegeta arrive behind him. And he was positive they were thinking the same thing he was - where was the explosion?

When his vision began to recover from the brightness, his eyes widened to the size of saucers.

As where he expected to see the badly burned and critically injured form of his son, was Trunks and Goten's combined attack, still swirling with colour and pulsating with the halfling's energy. It was being held, suspended in mid-air by a very uninjured Gokuto, his green eyes glinting in the brilliant light.

Slowly, his stoic features contorted into ones of confusion, and small tears started to escape his eyes, cascading down his cheeks.

Gohan was frozen to the spot, as were Trunks and Goten, who had suddenly caught sight of the child.

His father was able to move his feet before anyone else, waving off the paramedics and picking up the sobbing boy, hugging him tightly to his chest before jumping lightly from the platform.

Immediately, the blast dropped to the ground, exploding in a shower of light.


	26. A Strange and Mysterious Power

_**Hey everyone. Thank you again for all the love and support. I've decided to put out a couple more chapters as I really want to get in to the tournament for you guys. This story is nearly complete (on my computer!) so I'm excited to share it with you all. My goal is to get it the story on here by christmas, but it might be new year due to work/university commitments etc. As always, enjoy!**_

 **Chapter Twenty-Five**

 **A Strange and Mysterious Power**

 **xxxx**

Gohan was finally able to move his legs as the small explosion subsided. He hurried towards his father, who was muttering soft words of comfort to the little hybrid still clutched to his chest. As the teenager approached, Gokuto looked up, his freckled cheeks tear stained and his eyes bloodshot, but thankfully, not a scratch on him.

"D-Daddy!" he cried desperately, tumbling out of Goku's arms and launching himself at the halfling.

The teenager sighed in utter relief, as the boy latched onto him, continuing to sob into his t-shirt.

"Shhh, it's alright Gokuto," Gohan cooed, one arm wrapped tightly around him whilst the other he used to stroke his messy hair, "Daddy's here, I've got you kiddo."

Gokuto merely cried harder, his face turning red as he became more distraught. His heart ached, he hated seeing the boy in such a state.

"Gohan, I think you should take him inside," came his father's voice of reason, "He needs to calm down."

"Y-yeah," he replied, a little shakily.

He noticed Piccolo and Vegeta standing a ways off, eyeing him with a curious expression. Goku clapped a hand on his shoulder before guiding him inside the temple, but Gohan didn't feel comforted at all. His father's face was stern in a way that he had only seen appear a handful of times.

The teenager glanced over to the stage, where the dust was still clearing and tournament officials were looking around in bewilderment. He gave a reassuring nod to Goten and Trunks, who were both staring at the scene with glum expressions.

The boys' smiled back as Gohan motioned to them that all was well, he didn't want them to think it was their fault.

The booming voice of Mister Alonso reached his ears as they entered the small temple. The match had resumed, and Gohan was glad to find that the other children that had competed had already left the area. He sat himself down on a nearby bench, Gokuto's heart wrenching cries echoing off the magnificent stone walls. Piccolo stood across from him with Vegeta, whilst his father came and sat next to him on the bench.

"D-Daddyyyy!" Gokuto sobbed, nuzzling his head into his chest.

"Shhh," repeated the young saiyan, rocking back and forth on the bench, rubbing the child's back in order to sooth him, "It's alright, Daddy's got you."

Gokuto shook his head vigorously, his fists clenching Gohan's t-shirt tighter.

"Whats wrong 'Kuto?" the teen asked, he didn't understand why the boy was so inconsolable.

Of course, having a raging ball of energy hurtling towards you was scary, no matter what age you were. But Gokuto looked completely in control, amazed by it in fact, he wondered what had happened?

"I-I- don't wanna fight the monster!" he choked, letting an all out wail escape him.

"Monster?" Gohan frowned, exchanging a look with the others, "What monster?"

"The- the- monster, in my dweam! I-I don't want to Daddy! He's scawy!" Gokuto hiccuped, his voice muffled by Gohan's now sodden shirt.

"'Kuto, you don't have to fight a monster," the teenager soothed, "There's no monsters coming to get you. Not while Daddy's here."

"What the hell is the runt talking about?" Vegeta muttered, before he was promptly hushed by Piccolo.

The little saiyan continued to sob, and Gohan felt positively forlorn, until an idea came to mind. "'Kuto, where's your noo noo?"

Gokuto shrugged, his tears unrelenting.

"Here," said Goku, pushing the dummy into Gohan's hand, "I found it by the ring."

The halfling accepted it gratefully before wiping the teat on his jeans and popping it into Gokuto's mouth.

"There," said Gohan, as his suckles filled the room, "That better kiddo?"

The little hybrid nodded, his eyes still blurred with tears, his tail uncurling and wrapping around Gohan's. The teen kissed him gently on top of his head, sighing in relief as his crying ceased, replaced only by the occasional sniffle.

Gohan blinked, when his father reached over and started to stroke the child's hair. Gokuto jolted slightly at his touch before he relaxed, his eyes slowly closing until he eventually drifted off to sleep.

"Thanks," whispered Gohan awkwardly, as the boy's steady breathing filled the room.

His father chuckled quietly, "He's pretty fast for a little guy, no wonder he slipped past us."

"That's not the point," Vegeta interrupted in a harsh whisper, glowering at the halfling, "What I want to know is how the hell your brat managed to defend that attack?"

Gohan shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine Vegeta."

"Bullshit," he spat in a hushed tone, "There's no way he could possibly control Ki like that without some form of training!"

The teenager frowned, keeping his voice low as to not to wake the child, "The most I've done is sit him in front of me and Goten whilst we've been training for this sodding tournament, he's two years old for Kami's sake! I haven't taught him anything!"

"Gohan's right," said Piccolo, his eyes not leaving the sleeping boy, "No two year old could have deflected that, even with training."

Vegeta scoffed, folding his arms across his chest.

"Maybe he takes after Gohan," quipped Goku, causing the other occupants to give him a curious look, "I mean, he started to show his hidden powers when he was just a baby, it makes sense."

"No it doesn't," Piccolo shot back, "Gohan had no recollection or memory of anything when he released his power, whereas Gokuto remembered the entire thing."

The halfling looked down at Gokuto, who had begun to snore lightly. It was true, the child had shown a few bursts of extraordinary power ever since he was born, but it hadn't been anything anywhere near this level of potential. And just what dream was the boy talking about? Was the attack itself the so called 'monster' he was referring to? Or did Gokuto just have an incredibly vivid imagination?

"It's strange," his father pondered, his obsidian eyes fixated on the sleeping child.

"Strange isn't the word Kakarot," hushed Vegeta, "More like impossible."

Gohan bit his lip, he really hoped Piccolo was right and Gokuto hadn't inherited _his_ so called 'hidden powers'. The thought made him shudder.

"Gohan, you alright son?"

He blinked, jumping a little at his father's words.

"Yeah, just a bit worried about 'Kuto," he offered. Well, it wasn't a lie.

"Don't worry kid, we'll keep an eye on him," said Piccolo.

"Yeah," Goku smiled, "Maybe it was just a one off, he's a tough little guy, right?."

"Right," said Gohan, his tail gripping onto Gokuto's a little tighter.

As it transpired, Trunks and Goten had refrained from using energy beams for the rest of their match. However, this did not deter the young saiyan's from giving the audience a good show. His father, Piccolo and Vegeta had headed back to the arena, having not wanting to miss the rest of the fight.

Gohan stayed behind for a little longer, and after making sure that Gokuto was settled into a deep sleep, decided to make his way back up to the stands.

"Gohan!" came a frantic shout as he exited the temple.

The young saiyan whirled around, and was surprised to see Videl of all people, racing towards him across the grass.

"Is he okay?" she panted as she neared them, "I saw him by the sidelines, I tried to stop him but he-"

"He'll be alright," said Gohan, giving her a weak smile, "I think he's just a bit shocked."

The girl nodded solemnly, her eyes fixated on the upset child, "Your little brother right? It's a good job those kids were able to stop the blast when they did, he could have been seriously hurt!"

The teenager bit his lip, he didn't have the heart to correct her.

"Those kids are in your group, I recognised them from last night," she continued, cocking her head towards him.

Gohan sighed at her interrogation, "Yeah, the black haired kid is my brother."

"So how do they know how to use Ki?" she asked sceptically.

The young saiyan pretended to act dumb, "You know about Ki?"

"I know a little bit about it," she informed him, raising an eyebrow, "So are you going to tell me how they know? Because I've only seen a handful of people do those fancy light beams."

"Well, you'd be surprised just how many people practice the old arts," he replied, choosing his words carefully, "My dad trained with the Turtle school, along with a few of our family friends-"

"Wait," Videl spluttered, her eyes widening, " _the_ Turtle school! With the famous Master Roshi?!"

"The one and only," Gohan smirked, amused at how giddy she was getting, "He's sat up there with my father right now."

"WHAT?!" she yelped, "Just who the bloody hell is your father?"

"Well is name is Goku…"

"SON GOKU?!" she exclaimed loudly, causing Gokuto to stir slightly in his arms, "Your father is Son Goku, the former champion?"

"Um, yeah…"

"Bloody hell! I should have known!" She laughed, her eyes sparkling, "Your last name is Son isn't it?! Sweet Kami no wonder you scored so high in the prelims! Wow, you must have learned so much from him!"

"I suppose," the teen saiyan blinked, the girl was positively star struck, it was a bit surreal.

"Do you realise how much I've studied the old tournaments?!" she continued to gush.

He chuckled nervously, "I can only imagine."

"This is incredible," she guffawed, turning to him with excitement in her eyes, "I know its weird but, will you introduce me? Oh please Gohan, it would mean so much."

"Really?" the teenager winced, he didn't even want to imagine just how awkward that would be, especially seen as he had let slip to Piccolo and Vegeta about the history between them.

"Oh go on, please!"

"Fine," Gohan sighed, cursing himself that he couldn't resist her. Videl was positively beside herself, and soon the young saiyan found himself smiling along with her.

She was different, this Videl, but not in a bad way. No, it was like seeing a whole new side to her, just like that fateful night. She was allowing him in, allowing him to see her vulnerabilities and share in her life. She was no longer the guarded girl he had once known, she had grown just as he had. He supposed it was time he should allow her to share in his life too.

Feeling a lot more like his confidence self, the teenager smirked, deciding to give Piccolo's suggestion a try, "How's about I introduce you later, after I've taken you out for dinner?"

Videl gave him a curious stare, "Dinner? Like a date?"

He gasped mockingly, "Don't tell me your father wouldn't approve?"

"Oh he wouldn't," she smiled back, "But that doesn't mean it's a no."

"So… that's a yes?"

"That depends on where you're taking me," Videl replied with a wry grin.

"Hey, all I'm saying is that you'll need something in your stomach if your going to meet my dad, I don't want you getting all giddy and passing out," he smirked, "not to mention it would be awfully embarrassing."

The Satan girl rolled her eyes, "Go on then, you've twisted my arm."

"Pick you up at seven?"

"How's about I pick _you_ up at seven Son Gohan?"

"Right you are Miss Satan."

 **xxxx**

As Gohan had predicted, his mother had been frantic upon his return, but the teenager was surprised to find that she didn't scream his head off for not keeping a closer eye on Gokuto. Though he thought it might have something to do with the stern look his father had given her as soon as she pounced on them at the top of the steps.

The match had ended shortly after his return, Trunks emerging the victor as he managed to goad young Goten to the edge of the ring, phasing out and booting him across the stadium, where he screeched to a halt in mid-air, his feet just brushing the stands, making it a win by ring out.

Vegeta had been obnoxiously smug about it ever since.

The teenager felt bad for his brother, who he knew had personally trained incredibly hard to compete in the tournament. Still, it had been a good match, and he and Trunks were almost even in terms of power and skill. The young prince just fought a litter dirtier, which wasn't surprising given who his father was.

He wondered just how Gokuto didn't wake up when the stadium erupted for the exhibition match between Trunks and the World Champ himself. Granted, it did last all of five seconds, when Mister Satan cockily offered the young halfling the first punch, which subsequently made a nice, 'Hercule shaped' hole in one of the barricades.

Gohan had laughed his ass off, along with the rest of the gang, poor Hercule obviously didn't pay any attention to the boy's fight, as he would have wisely faked another stomach ache. Luckily for the Champ, the spectator's passed it off as the good hearted man letting the young boy win, leaving him with an untarnished reputation and a banging headache, that Gohan was certain wouldn't subside for another few hours at least.

After Trunks had collected his winnings, which included a shiny trophy for Goten as the runner up, the gang made their way back to the hotel, where Gohan had started to get ready for his date.

But he was having no such luck.

The young saiyan was currently sat in the middle of his bedroom, dressed in nothing but a pair of gi bottoms as he stared hopelessly at the mountain of discarded clothes strewn around him.

Why he couldn't find anything decent to wear was beyond him, he had been searching through the pile he had emptied out of his duffle bag for about three quarters of an hour, nearly pulling his hair out due to frustration.

He was going on a date.

With Videl Satan.

Gohan couldn't understand why his stomach was twisting with nerves, he had been out on hundreds of dates, why was this one any different?

The teenager could only curse himself for taking Piccolo's advice, could he not control himself? Did he not have any bloody restraint?!

"Obviously not," he muttered bitterly to himself, "else you wouldn't have already slept with her as your alter ego you _prat_."

Gohan let out another cry of frustration, throwing yet another useless shirt carelessly onto the bed, where Goten and Gokuto were sat watching him with curious stares.

"URGH!" he huffed, throwing himself onto the floor in a pitiful heap.

"Picking out your gi for tomorrow?"

Kami above, couldn't his father just leave him be?

Goku had peeped his head around the door at that precise moment, chuckling at the sight of his eldest son as he groaned from amongst the pile of discarded clothing.

"Gohan's going out on a date with a girl!" Goten exclaimed, causing the teen to shoot him a glare.

"Really now?" his father smirked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

" _Yes_ alright?!" Gohan snapped, lifting his head angrily towards the man, "and you can get that stupid look off your face!"

"Son Gohan don't speak to your father in that tone!" his mother called, walking briskly into the room in search of her husband.

"Well I wouldn't have to if there wasn't a family reunion going on in my bedroom!"

 **Knock Knock Knock.**

His eyes suddenly widened to the size of saucers as the front door sounded.

"Gohan's girlfriend's here! Gohan's girlfriend's here!" Goten bellowed in excitement, jumping up and racing from the room.

The teenager's heart skipped a beat.

"She's not my -! Damn it Goten don't you dare open that door!" Gohan roared, hot on his brother's heels as he chased him through the hallways, their parents laughing after them.

They zipped through the living room, causing a small whirlwind and catching the attention of the Z-gang who were previously enjoying a quiet evening watching television.

"Goten!" The young saiyan yelled, but it was too late.

Goten managed to dodge his brother's grip as he made a beeline for the front door, reaching it milliseconds before Gohan did, swinging it open where a smiling Videl greeted them.

The halfling's heart fluttered at the sight of her, she was wearing cropped high waisted jeans with a tight white tank top tucked into them, sandals on her feet and her fighting gloves discarded. Her hair was loose of her pigtails once more, her long hair framing her heart shaped face.

Gohan frowned, realising that her sapphire eyes were fixated on his chest, a light blush evident on her cheeks. At first he thought it was her makeup, that was, until he looked down and realised he didn't have a shirt on.

It wasn't like she hadn't seen everything before, well kind of, and only to his knowledge. Even so, his face grew hot all of a sudden. Bloody hell, he was acting like a sodding teenage girl!

"I'll just um, get dressed," he coughed awkwardly, almost bumping into the doorframe as he turned.

Videl chuckled at his display, whilst Gohan felt like slapping himself.

Knowing it would be rude to keep her outside waiting, the teenager reluctantly led her in, where the Z-gang were waiting expectantly, smirking at him.

Looks like she would be meeting his father a lot sooner than expected.

"Videl, guys," he introduced quickly, "Guys, Videl. I'll just be a minute, make yourself comfortable?"

Five minutes later, after Gohan had found something to wear and had had a few stern words with his reflection in the bathroom mirror, did he make his way back into the living room, where he found Videl sat on the sofa with Gokuto on her lap, having a light hearted conversation about fighting techniques with his father.

"Ready to go?" the teenager cleared his throat as he entered the room, all eyes turning to him.

Videl nodded, smiling as his father took Gokuto from her.

"Bye bye Videl!" The little boy sang, his tail wagging happily behind him.

"Bye Gokuto," she waved back, before bidding the rest of them a good night, "It was really nice to meet you all."

"Likewise," said Goku, giving his son a wink from behind her, "Have fun you two."

"Yeah yeah," Gohan sighed, pulling the girl out of the door, "see you later, don't wait up."

"Bye Gohan! Don't do anything we wouldn't do!" Krillin cat called as the teenager snapped the door to behind him.

"Sorry about that," he smiled sheepishly at Videl as they left the hotel, "my family can be a little bit mental."

"They're great Gohan, really," she smiled back, "thanks for introducing me to them, your father seems like such a good bloke."

The teen saiyan didn't reply, and instead briskly changed the subject, "So, where do you want to go?"

 **xxxx**

As it turned out Videl wasn't the type of girl to be wined and dined at some fancy restaurant. Instead, the two teenagers had found a burger bar along the sea front, taking full advantage of their burger and a beer meal deal.

Nerves getting the better of him, the young saiyan didn't feel all that hungry, instead only ordering half of what he would usually have. Even though it was still a decent sized pile of food, it didn't seem to faze Videl, who had put it down to a young man just fuelling his fighter's appetite.

Still, it was nice just getting to know Videl outside her work with the Satan City police force, it surprised him at just how much he didn't know about the girl.

"So how long have you been training for?"

"Since I was four," he replied, taking sip of his beer bottle, "you?"

Videl's eyes widened slightly, " _Four?_ That's early. My dad wouldn't let me train until I was eight. But even that only lasted a few years. Dad doesn't even let me watch him train now, keeps it all a secret."

Gohan frowned, though was unsurprised by the revelation. He wouldn't put it past the Champ to have realised that his daughter was much stronger than him, hence why he wouldn't let her train with him.

"Well, I suppose it is a bit early," said the halfling honestly, "My dad didn't mind though. But I've had a bit of a break from any serious training actually. Vegeta, you know the bloke with the big hair? Yeah, he says I'm nowhere near as strong as I used to be. And Kami won't he let me forget it."

"You would never have guessed," she quirked, "Although I have yet to see you fight."

"So do you train with anyone else?" Gohan asked, interested, "I was always taught that you can learn a lot from others fighting styles, I've picked quite a few things up from my dad's friends over the years."

"Not really," she said heavily, "I train at my dad's dojo every day, though I haven't really fought anyone else besides him, and I don't count my police work. But Daddy shut himself up a bit more after Mum left, and well, he hasn't been the same since the whole Cell fiasco."

"Yeah," he breathed somewhat bitterly, taking another gulp of his beer, "Cell changed a lot of people."

She sighed, twirling her fork in her hand, "Have you ever wanted to be something more? Something different than whats expected of you?"

Gohan was taken aback, unsure of what to say, when Videl suddenly rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on, you must know what it's like," she pressed, "son of the former world Champ, please tell me that your family put just as much pressure on you as mine do and that I'm not alone here?"

The young saiyan blinked in surprise, but evidently, Videl had hit the nail on the head.

He had felt that way all his life. His mother; as loving and maternal as she was, wanted him to become a great scholar, do something worth while and shield him from the evils of the world. Whereas his father; strong and proud, wanted him to become just like him, but better. Surpass him in every way in order to protect the world that he loved so much.

But Gohan had been torn, stuck between the ideals of his parents without much room to voice his own desires. Granted, his own desires had landed him with a kid at fifteen, and all of a sudden he had his own little person to guide, to teach him the ways of life. Eventually, he had found his own way. He knew what he wanted to be, what he wanted from life. Science and love.

But it was hard, hard for a young man to find his feet when all he had known was death and battle, and similarly the inside of his bedroom and dusty textbooks.

Just what was expected of him now? He was expected to be a good father, that was a given, and he didn't think he was doing too bad a job at that so far. But he certainly hadn't grown into the young man his mother had dreamed him to be, and he certainly wasn't the Gohan his father had expected to meet at the tournament entrance upon his return from the afterlife.

He looked up, when he felt Videl's curious eyes upon him, the intensity of her gaze urging him to say something.

Slowly, he nodded, "Yeah, they do or well, they used to. I kind of just do my own thing now, my family mostly just let me get on with it."

"Everyone expects me to be just like my dad," Videl sighed, "He's strong, and for the most part is selfless. He'd do anything for me, but as much as he's a good man, I want to be my own person. At one point I though I'd met someone who I could be that person with and well… that crashed and burned."

The young saiyan cringed, as the girl turned her focus to her beer bottle, picking off the labelling with her fingernails.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this," she chuckled darkly, "I never usually open up to someone this easily."

"Well I'm glad to be of service," he joked, attempting to lift the mood, "It's good to talk things out sometimes."

She grinned, a heart stopping smile that almost caused the halfling to accidentally knock his beer to the floor.

Regaining his composure, the young saiyan sighed, "And I know what you mean, fighting has always been a big part of my life, but I never really enjoyed it as much as everyone thought I did. I just did it because I had to. My dad's a brilliant fighter, and I suppose my family and friends expected me to be just like him, better even, but I… I made a lot of mistakes, let's put it that way."

Videl's eyes softened, "But everyone learns from their mistakes, that's how we get better."

"Sometimes I'm not so sure," He sighed, leaning back in his seat.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," she smiled, "I'm sure your an awesome fighter."

He forced a grin back, guilt pooling in the pit of his stomach.

"So, what's it like having two younger brothers?" she asked him, placing down her cutlery and using her clean plate away from her, "I would have loved that, I haven't got any siblings."

The teenager sweated. Unable to lie directly to those sapphire eyes, the young saiyan prepared himself to actually tell the girl the truth for once.

"Well, actually, I only have the one, Gokuto isn't my brother," he started carefully.

"Oh," she spoke in a surprised tone, "But he looks so much like you, and with the name and the tail, I thought he must be Goku's son. If I'm honest, I thought it was weird that Goten was the only one out of you all without a tail from what I've seen in the old tournaments-"

"Well we are related," Gohan interrupted, avoiding her curious stare, "Gokuto's my… son."

"Your _son_?"

He winced, his eyes darting all over her bewildered expression. "Yeah, pretty wild eh?"

"Wild is right!" she gasped, "Just how old were you when you had him?!"

"Almost sixteen."

"You were _fifteen?!"_ she shrieked, drawing the attention of some of the customers in the restaurant.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes, "It's not that big of a deal."

"What did your parents say?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"They were shocked, obviously," he replied, "But soon got used to the idea, they had no choice in the matter really."

"How often do you see him?"

"Well he lives with me," he explained, "his mum and I aren't together."

"I should hope not, you wouldn't be taking me out otherwise," Videl scoffed, before her expression softened, "Why didn't you say anything?"

Gohan snorted, "It's not exactly the first topic of conversation that comes up on dates, oddly."

She laughed softly, relaxing a little, "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry, but wow that is young to have a kid."

He smiled back, "Yeah, I nearly gave Piccolo a heart attack when he found out. I was surprised that my mother didn't castrate me."

Videl laughed again, "Piccolo?"

"Oh, he's my mentor," he replied, "The green guy? He trained me since I was four."

"Right," she nodded, "so why bring a two year old to a tournament? Couldn't his Mum look after him?"

The halfling's grin faltered, he wasn't sure he wanted to explain that one, and he would have to be careful not to mention Borbonne, "No, Lime can't look after him."

Videl frowned, "Cant? Or won't?"

"Can't," he said forcibly, "She had an accident and suffered trauma to the brain not long after Gokuto was born. Now she cant talk, recognise anyone or do much for herself. She doesn't even know who he is."

The girl clapped her hands over her mouth, horrified. "Oh Gohan, I'm so sorry."

"It's alright," the young saiyan shrugged, silence encompassing them before he spoke again, "Do you want to go for a walk?"

"I'd like that," she smiled, taking his hand as he helped her out of her seat.

The walked along the sea front for a while, passing the various brightly lit bars and restaurants whilst Gohan puffed on a cigarette. They walked in silence, admiring the stars above them that created silver reflections in the darkened ocean.

"So how angry would your dad be if he found out you were out on a date tonight?" he asked after a while, holding her hand causally as they walked.

They had found themselves on the soft sandy beach, their feet sinking into the sand as they walked. His heart skipped a beat when she didn't pull away.

"Furious," she chuckled, casting her gaze towards him, "Especially after seeing that opening dance."

"Yeah, sorry about that, I got a little carried away," he grinned sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it, the look on Dad's face was a picture," Videl informed him.

"So he didn't yell at you?" he quirked.

"Oh he yelled," she laughed, before turning to smile at him, "But you know fathers, he was just trying to protect me."

Gohan forced a smile back, a weight laying heavily on his shoulders all of a sudden.

They walked a little further until they reached a dock with several small rowing boats tied to the wooden rungs. With Piccolo's wise words ringing in his ears, the young saiyan made a beeline for one of the boats, pulling Videl along with him so that she shrieked a little at the sudden jerk.

"Gohan! What are you doing?" she growled as he released her and began to untie the rope, "You nearly pulled my arm off!"

The teen saiyan grinned as the boat released and floated a little way from the dock, "Fancy going on an adventure?"

"You cant steal a boat!" She gasped.

"Not stealing, borrowing!" He chuckled, stepping in the boat and holding out a hand for her to take. Sensing her reservations, he asked, "What, don't you trust me?"

Videl stared at his outstretched palm hesitantly, an odd look in her eye, before allowing him to help her into the boat, "You're hopeless."

"I think you'll find the term is romantic, Miss Satan," he winked, causing her to snort at his display, though she seemed rather amused.

Taking hold of the paddles, the young saiyan rowed them out further away from the shore, until eventually the dazzling lights of Papaya Island twinkled at them from the blackness of the ocean. The night was perfectly clear, so much so that the stars sparkled brilliantly from above them. The boat rocked gently as the calm waves slopped against them.

Setting down the paddles by his feet, Gohan relished in his genius.

"Alright, you've got me," said Videl with a smile, "This is pretty romantic."

"And you thought that meeting my father was going to be the highlight of your evening," he smirked back.

She laughed, causing the teenagers heart to flutter at the musical sound.

"Seriously though, thank you for doing that," said Videl, "I hope you don't get teased too much when you get back to the hotel, Krillin and Yamcha tried to show me a picture of with a bowl cut from when you were little."

Gohan's eyes widened in horror.

"Don't panic," she giggled, "Bulma stepped in before they could show me, I didn't know you knew so many famous people!"

Resisting the sudden urge to fly back to the hotel and punch his so called friends directly in the face, the teenager forced a smile, "Yeah, they all go back a long way, way before Yamcha hit it big with the Titans and Bulma took over as CEO of Capsule Corp."

"Yeah, I've seen them together with your dad in past tournament footage," she grinned back, before looking towards him curiously, "I almost asked whether the rumours were true you know, but I didn't want to seem stupid."

"What rumours?" he quirked.

Videl's eyes darted around her before she whispered, "You know, if the rumours were true that some of them competed in the Cell Games with those blonde blokes, but it's never been proven, the footage was destroyed years ago in that fire at Z-TV."

The young saiyan sweated nervously, silently thanking Dende's quick thinking all those years ago. The Namekian had pointed out that people would be sure to recognise Yamcha, Krillin, Tien and Piccolo at least from the old tournaments, and the paparazzi would have made life very difficult for them. Not to mention they had links to Gohan through his father, and the young boy was already struggling, without the added weight of his family being investigated for participation in the Cell Games. So it was decided that the Z-Fighter's participation be kept under wraps as much as possible. Though the world could not forget the delivery boy that easily.

Granted, when the young Namekian had told him to dispose of the evidence before it could be looked into further, he didn't mean blowing it up.

In an eleven year old Gohan's defence he should have been more specific.

"Come off it Videl," he scoffed, the lies spouting from his mouth before he could stop himself, "You don't honestly believe that do you?"

Videl sighed in defeat, "I suppose not, but I bet if it _were_ true then they wouldn't let the fame get to their head."

"Oh I don't know," he offered, feeling guilty as he attempted to lighten the mood, "Yamcha is a bit of a glory hog, but don't tell him I said that."

"So," he grinned cheekily as she began to laugh, "You've met my dad, when are you going to introduce me to yours?"

"You're full of it," she scoffed, slapping him playfully on the shoulder and causing the boat to rock harshly.

"Careful!" Gohan cried, steadying the sides with his hands.

Videl stuck out her tongue, before cocking her head at him, "I'm starting to see why you said that girls don't take you to meet their parents. Though, it's even worse for me, did you know that Dad once said that I'm not allowed to go out with anyone unless they're stronger than him?"

"Really now?" Gohan pressed, quirking an eyebrow in amusement, "Actually, I remember him saying that at that charity ball."

"Yeah, how stupid is that?" she huffed, "He beat Cell for crying out loud, who do you know that's strong enough to beat Cell who _isn't_ my dad?"

"Couldn't tell ya off the top of my head," he replied simply, before turning to her, "But then again I _did_ score higher than him on the punch machine…"

"I thought you said that was beginners luck," she shot back playfully.

"Are you complaining?"

"Not at all," she grinned before her brow furrowed, "You know, I did used to think that there was one person who could actually could beat my dad in a fight."

"Who might that be?" he asked.

"The Gold Fighter," she stated, causing his breath to catch in his throat. She sighed, looking out into the sky, her eyes wide and searching. "I thought he might be here at the tournament, but I haven't seen him anywhere."

"Maybe he's retired?" Gohan offered, causing the girl to roll her eyes.

"From what exactly? He barely did any work, I was the one always cleaning up after his shit."

"Hey that's not fair!" he protested before he could stop himself.

Videl snorted, "Don't tell me your a Gold Fighter fan?"

"Maybe I am," he stated indignantly, folding his arms across his chest.

"You're a lost cause," she said, shaking her head.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just saying, it's great for everyone to have a hero like The Gold Fighter, he was the little boy that stood up to Cell after all, before my dad managed to step in," Videl continued, looking out over the sea, "I know my dad can be a bit of a prat, but at least I know that he wouldn't let me down like he did."

Gohan was dumbstruck.

Here he was, no disguises, his heart on his sleeve, sat in the middle of a bloody ocean on a pissing tiny boat with the girl of his dreams, feeling things he hadn't felt in a long time. It was a good idea, a great idea! He could be romantic right? Right! And yet Videl… Videl wasn't even looking at him. Her eyes were focussed on the sky above, searching for something… _someone_ who was indeed right under her nose.

He couldn't believe he had been so utterly _stupid_.

With his mouth running dry, the young saiyan opened his mouth to speak, "Videl, I-"

"Oh wow look!"

Gohan frowned at the girl's sudden outburst, and turned to look at what she was pointing at in the distance. The young saiyan's eyes widened as dozens, no hundreds of tiny lights floated into the air from the distant Isle of Papaya.

"What are they?" he asked, puzzled at the spectacular sight.

"Lanterns of course!" Videl grinned, "Don't tell me you've never seen them before?"

The teen shook his head, his eyes widening as the paper lanterns twisted and turned around each other, creating beautiful patterned reflections in the ocean waters.

The Satan girl sighed longingly, "It was Dad's idea. At the last World Martial Arts Tournament before the Cell Games, everyone that attended released lanterns, as a will of good fortune and hope. We prayed that the world would be safe again. Daddy wanted to do the same again at this tournament, in order to start a tradition, in memory of all the lives lost to war and crime in the world. Looks like it was a much better turn out this year though, good isn't it?"

"Yeah," Gohan said sincerely, memories of Android Sixteen entering his mind. He had to hand it to Mister Satan, as boastful and idiotic as he was, it was a rather nice idea. Maybe he wasn't as bad as he thought.

The teenagers watched the display in silence for a while, the young saiyan stealing a few glances at the girl as the spectacular lights lit fire in her sapphire eyes. Once the last of the lanterns had disappeared well into the distance, they decided it was time to head back.

"Here," said Gohan as he helped her back onto the sand, wrapping his leather jacket around Videl's shoulders as she began to shiver.

"Thanks," she smiled up at him.

"You're welcome," he grinned back, his heart catching in his throat again, "Videl, there's something I need to tell you, I-"

"What are they looking at?" Videl started abruptly, her gaze fixated on something behind him.

Whirling around to look behind him, Gohan's eyes widened, as he caught sight of the figures standing on top of one of the nearby buildings. It took a couple of seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, and indeed make out the forms of Shin and Kibito standing as still as statues, looking over the grounds.

"Gohan?" Videl quirked, noticing how the young saiyan had become silent.

The young saiyan frowned. Why were they both just _standing_ there? They didn't seem to be having any conversation of sorts. It was like they were watching something, or indeed, waiting for something. Something about them really ruffled his tail, and Gohan wasn't going to stand there waiting for them to make a move.

"Who are they?" Videl whispered, spotting the mysterious pair, "Bloody weirdos, they're just standing there."

"Dunno," he replied, eyeing them, "I don't feel too good about them either. Let's go, I'll take you back."

As the teenager's made to take their leave, Gohan took one last glance back. And then really wished he hadn't.

Shin's eyes caught his own, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The halfling shivered, as the strange being continued to stare. Suddenly feeling incredibly vulnerable, the young saiyan decapsulised his motorcycle and encouraged Videl to get on it. He revved the engine as soon as the girl wrapped her arms around his waist, speeding back towards the hotel, but unable to shake the feeling that they were being followed.

"Woah Gohan did you have to go that fast?!" panted Videl as they made their way through the brightly lit corridors of Le Satane, she stumbled a little, apparently still a little dizzy from the ride.

"Sorry," he smiled sheepishly, "I suppose I'm just used to the speed."

"Apparently so," she snorted, finally able to regain her composure, "Is this you?"

Gohan looked up, having not realised they had made it outside his suite already.

"Yeah," he said, "Though shouldn't I be the one to walk you back to your room?"

"My dad thinks I'm at Erasa's," she explained, a smirk playing on her lips, "Besides, I don't need a man to walk me back, I'm not some damsel in distress you know."

"The thought never entered my mind," he grinned back, leaning against the doorframe in a casual manner.

"Well, thanks for taking me out," said Videl, smiling, "I had a really nice time."

"Me too," said Gohan, although he wished that the conversation about his alter ego hadn't come up. He would have to tell her eventually, there had been so many lies.

But now was not the time.

Videl was looking at him with an intensity that he remembered all too well, her gaze held longing, with a touch of hesitation that was driving him wild.

The young saiyan couldn't help himself.

Shutting away the logical part of his brain that was screaming at him to stop, he leaned forwards, cupping her cheek with his palm and capturing her lips with his own.

She jolted slightly before sighing willingly into the kiss that lasted but a few seconds before she pulled away, her face rather flushed.

Gohan gave her a wicked smile, "See you in the finals?"

"Don't get too cocky," she grinned back, flipping her long raven hair over her shoulder before waltzing back down the corridor, not once looking back.

The teenager sighed, waiting a few seconds before kicking open the front door with his boot and allowing the entire gang, his mother and father included, to topple out into the hallway before him.

"You lot are disgraceful, you know that?" he scoffed, ignoring their ridiculous giggles, "Now if you don't mind, I have a toddler to put to bed and an immensely cold shower to take."

With that, he stepped over the raucous Z-gang, and made his way back into the suite, shutting his bedroom door behind him.


	27. The Adult Division

_Here it is! The Adult Division! Yaaaaaaay! :)_

 **Chapter Twenty-Six**

 **The Adult Division**

 **xxxx**

"Well well well, I'd never thought I'd see the day, our little Gohan and Mister Satan's daughter!"

"Suck my balls Krillin."

"Classy."

"Son Gohan will you watch that mouth of yours! I don't know how many times I have to tell you," his mother scolded, whilst Yamcha and Tien snorted into their cereal.

The young saiyan rolled his eyes, pulling the jug of orange juice towards him and pouring himself a glass.

It was the morning of the adult competition and fighters and spectators alike were up as soon as the sun rose over the isle of Papaya. Gohan yawned loudly, helping himself to breakfast and attempting to ignore the relentless teasing of the Z-Fighters.

Apparently they found the fact that he was smitten with the daughter of Mister Satan utterly hilarious, though thankfully it was only Piccolo and Vegeta that knew the full extent of the mess the young saiyan had gotten himself into.

His father had been grinning at him like a madman all morning, and Gohan was getting increasingly fed up of his presence. Later on that day his father would leave them all again for good, so he really didn't feel like cozying up to him for the last few hours like Goten and Gokuto. He wasn't a little kid anymore after all.

Still, that didn't mean that he still wasn't completely weirded out by Shin and Kibito. The thought of Shin's penetrative stare was enough to make his skin crawl. He wasn't sure what their motive was, but he certainly didn't like it.

"So," the teenager spoke in between bites of his sausage sandwich, catching the attention of the table, "I saw Shin and Kibito last night."

"What did they say?" Goku frowned, eyeing him sceptically.

"They didn't say anything," he continued, "They were just standing there on top of this building next to us. Dunno what they were doing, they looked like they were waiting for something, then Shin gave me this creepy ass stare. It was… weird… it was like he was looking into my soul."

The kitchen was silent, as the gang exchanged worried glances. That is, until Piccolo strode over and slapped the teenager upside the head.

"OW!" he whined, "what was that for?!"

"Why didn't you tell us last night?" the Namekian growled, "They could have been up to something!"

"I was _busy_ ," Gohan fumed.

"Busy making goo goo eyes and not paying attention!" Vegeta spat.

"Guys come on now," said Goku calmly, attempting to extinguish the sudden tension, "Do you really think those two are that dangerous? They said they just wanted to compete in the tournament."

Piccolo narrowed his eyes, "They said they have travelled very far to be here, for a tournament meant for _earthlings."_

"So?" asked Goku.

"So," stated Piccolo, "It means that they could have an ulterior motive."

"Yeah, there's something about them I don't like," said Tien.

"But what can we do about it?" asked Yamcha, "We don't know anything about them."

"But they seem to know a lot about us," Piccolo informed, "Particularly Goku and Gohan."

"They were very interested in fighting Goku," Chaiozu quipped, "But then again, a lot of people are."

"We'll have to be vigilant until we figure out why they're here. It would be best if we all stuck together and kept our guard up, who knows who'll be fighting them in the tournament," he informed them, casting a stern glare at the teenager in the room.

"And speaking of sticking together, that includes no sneaking around canoodling and going for cigarettes alone Gohan."

Gohan rolled his eyes, "Yes _Mum_."

 **xxxx**

The roar of the crowd was almost deafening, as Gohan and the competing Z-Fighter's made their way through the tournament grounds to the temple, where they would be told their places in the tournament. His mother had been gushing at his father all the way from the hotel, recounting the story of how he proposed to her in the ring all those years ago. It seemed the Z-Fighter's held memories of a much more humble tournament, but were excited all the same.

The teenager had to admit he was rather looking forward to it himself, especially when he had bid goodbye to Gokuto and Goten before they made their way up to the stands. Their eyes beheld him in awe as they wished him good luck, Gokuto giving him a big sloppy kiss before he was finally prised away by Chi-Chi.

He couldn't help but feel as though his little family were looking towards him with pride, it was his very first tournament after all. Though there was one who wasn't as impressed with him as his son was.

"Couldn't you have worn something a little more serious?" Piccolo scoffed as the group reached the temple.

"What's wrong with this?" the young saiyan quirked, looking down at his outfit that comprised of his own design. Black gi trousers with a hole cut out for his tail, black training boots and weighted wristbands, along with one of his favourite tank tops that read ' _Suns Out. Guns Out.'_

The Namekian wrinkled his nose in distaste as he eyed his shirt, "What does that even mean?"

The teenager rolled his eyes, "If I have to explain it then it's probably not worth knowing Piccolo."

"It looks ridiculous."

Before Gohan could open his mouth to retort, Vegeta's angry growl cut across them.

"Will you hens stop clucking?!" he spat, "You're making fools out of yourselves!"

The temple air was refreshingly cool, hidden away from the heat of the sun. The other fighter's were already dotted around the room, eyeing their group as they entered. Gohan, along with Piccolo; Vegeta, Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien and Eighteen surveyed the area, exchanging a look as they spotted Shin and Kibito standing stoically in a corner.

"Hi Gohan."

"Oh hi Videl," the young saiyan grinned, his stomach lurching as he turned to greet her.

She was dressed in her fighting attire of spandex shorts and a white tank top with pink undershirt. She bore a wide, dazzling smile as she grinned at the teenager, her sapphire gaze settling on his chest.

"Nice shirt," she smirked.

"Thanks."

Piccolo snorted heavily from behind them, drawing the attention of the teenagers.

"Oh you remember everyone Videl," said Gohan.

"Nice to see you all again," she smiled.

"You too," his father gave a cheery wink, "Looking forward to getting stuck in?"

"Are we all here?" barked a voice from the front of the room.

The young saiyan turned, as Mister Alonso coughed loudly in order to address them.

"Good," the blonde haired announcer continued, "Welcome all you lucky competitors! It's good to see some familiar faces along with a few new ones standing before me today! I'm sure you're all itching to start fighting, so our tournament officials have gone ahead and selected the fights at random - please consult the board behind you where you'll find the list of matches! We will give you five minutes to find out who your opponents are and warm up before we start the first match!"

Gohan approached the list that had been nailed to a cork board pinned against the stone walls. Scanning his eyes across the paper, he was surprised as to what he found.

 _1st. Krillin VS Pintar_

 _2nd. Yamcha VS Tien_

 _3rd. Piccolo VS Shin_

 _4th. Videl VS Spopovich_

 _5th. Gohan VS Kibito_

 _6th. Mister Satan VS Eighteen_

 _7th. Goku VS Vegeta_

 _8th. Yamu VS Jewel_

"Bloody hell!" Krillin gaped from beside him, "Goku and Vegeta right from the start? This can only end badly."

There was a murmur of agreement from the Z-Fighters, but it wasn't his father and Vegeta's impending match was concerning Gohan at that moment. Piccolo would be the first to fight the mysterious Shin, and he Kibito shortly afterwards. The young saiyan looked towards his mentor, who appeared to be struggling with himself.

"You alright Piccolo? You're looking a little green," the teenager joked, attempting to elevate the mood.

Yet his mentor wasn't listening, instead, his gaze was fixated on Shin who stood a ways off, seemingly unfazed by the line up. Catching them staring, the purple skinned man all but smirked in their direction.

"Piccolo?" Gohan asked uncertainly, when he was abruptly interrupted by Krillin.

"Wow Eighteen, looks like you'll be getting the first shot at Mister Satan!"

"I'm positively jumping for joy," the android spoke, rolling her eyes at her husband.

"I wouldn't take it too lightly," Videl piped up, her brow furrowing, "My father is a dangerous man, I'd be on your guard if I were you."

Eighteen gave her a pointed look, before walking away to join Vegeta who was leaning against the wall. The prince was positively elated to fight his old nemesis in the first round, as was Goku, who was struggling to stand still, rocking on his feet in anticipation.

"I can't wait to get started," he heard his father call, turning to him with a wink, "I wonder if we'll end up facing off against each other son!"

"Don't get too cocky Kakarot, you'll have to get past me first!" Vegeta shouted from across the room.

"They're a bit competitive aren't they?" Videl whispered into his ear.

"You have no idea," Gohan replied with a wry smile, "Where's your dad anyway? Shouldn't he be here?" He added, realising that indeed Mister Satan was the only fighter absent.

"Oh," Videl smiled, "He likes to warm up in private, said he'll be along to watch my match from his private booth."

"Warm up my arse," Yamcha mumbled to Tien, low enough so the girl couldn't hear, "I bet he's still got a headache from his and Trunks' fight."

"So who's this Spopovich your up against?" asked the young saiyan, "You think you've got a decent chance of beating him?"

Videl's features suddenly hardened, "I know him, he lost against my father in the last tournament. But I have to say that he looks a lot different to what I remember."

A sense of unease emitted from the girl, and Gohan couldn't fathom as to why, until he followed her line of sight. His eyes widened as his gaze settled on the form of Spopovich and his comrade Yamu.

It was clear the two were in cahoots with each other, they had the same hulking oversized muscles that their large veins protruded over. Pale skin pulled tight over the bugling flesh, their contorting features giving the impression that they were in some sort of pain. Their teeth were bared and gritted together, their eyes looked as though they would pop out of their sockets at any moment. Spopovich was the larger of the two, and was staring at Videl with a lustful nature, licking his lips as she stared him down.

Something stirred in Gohan's memory. He frowned, as he recognised the calligraphed 'M' tattooed on their foreheads, and it seemed that Videl had too.

"Eek look at those two!" His father spoke suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts, "I wonder what's got them so angry… huh… maybe they didn't have a good breakfast."

"Yeah that's probably it Dad," said the teenager with a roll of his eyes.

He had half the mind to tell Piccolo about the strange gang he had encountered in Satan City with the same tattoo. However, it probably wouldn't be wise, the strong Namekian was already too preoccupied attempting to suss out Shin and Kibito.

Plus, the young saiyan would only be reprimanded from keeping something from the group _again_. In all honestly, he was going to tell them about that night in Satan City, but it had slipped his mind as soon as he had dived into bed with Videl. After that, it had completely slipped his mind.

Damn his teenage hormones.

Looking over to Piccolo once more, he found that his mentor was already in deep meditation. He looked calm from the exterior, though Gohan noticed the trickle of sweat that ran down his brow.

The young saiyan frowned, had Shin really gotten under his skin that much? Should he be just as worried about his match with Kibito?

"Alright everyone, the tournament is about to start!" Mister Alonso called, beaming at them all from the centre of the room, "Now to remind you all of the rules just one more time. The match is over if one of you falls unconscious, gives up or gets knocked out of the ring! You will be disqualified if one of you enters the match of another fighter or you unfortunately, kill your opponent!"

The fighter's mumbled their understanding, as Alonso cleared his throat once more.

"Well alright then, let's get to it!" he said excitedly, "The first match will be Krillin VS Pintar. Krillin, Pintar if you'd like to step forwards and make your way to the arena when I announce you to the crowd. Good luck everyone!"

And with that he disappeared through the archway, the crowd erupting as soon as he stepped out into the sunlight.

"Good luck Krillin, you'll do great!" Goku smiled.

"Hey thanks," said Krillin, stepping forwards and stretching his legs.

"So, you're the one they call Krillin?" came a booming voice behind them.

Pintar was a giant of a man, with long black hair tied into a ponytail atop his head. He had a great bulging belly, that his fighting attire struggled to fasten itself over. His shadow towered over Krillin, as he smirked, baring his large yellowing teeth.

"That's me," Krillin nodded, looking towards his opponent.

"Hmm, you are a scrawny little man aren't you?" Pintar jested, pointing an enormous finger in the ex-monk's face, "Hardly a challenge for someone of my stature! HA! You'd better tell your friends to get a brochure and start looking for a coffin, because you will die out there today!"

Krillin sighed hopelessly, "You know, that's exactly the kind of talk I'd expect from an incompetent fighter. Why don't we just save it for the ring, eh big guy?"

"What?!" Pintar growled, "Oh you think you're so tough! Well I'm going to wipe that smirk off your face and prove to you that size matters tiny man!"

"Ugh do you ever stop talking? asked Krillin, causing the large brute of a man to seethe.

 **"Ladies and gentlemen, fighting fans from all over the globe, I am proud to present to you the first match of the Twenty-Fifth World Martial Arts Tournament! Hold on to your seats folks, it looks to be an exciting round! Let's hear it for our first competitors… Krillin and Pintar!"**

 **xxxx**

The first match between Krillin and Pintar lasted all of thirty seconds, twenty-eight of which were spent by Pintar gloating in Krillin's face, followed by the two seconds it took for the exasperated Z-Fighter to knock the brute flying out of the ring with a sucker punch to the gut.

The second battle was much more entertaining to watch, and far less unpredictable. Yamcha and Tien wowed the crowd with a fight that lasted for a solid twenty minutes. Though Gohan would have predicted it to have lasted a lot longer had Tien not have countered Yamcha's 'Wolf Hurricane' with his own 'Tri-Beam'. It was perhaps too harsh of a move to make so early on in the fight, though it was clear that the old rivals were not messing around.

"Cheers mate," Yamcha grinned as he was helped up from outside the ring by a victorious Tien.

"Nice moves you two!" exclaimed Goku, as the pair hobbled back into the temple, "Looks like you've both kept up your training over the years."

"What, do you think we were just gonna sit about and twiddle our thumbs whilst you were gone Goku?" Yamcha winked, "I thought you knew us better that that!"

 **"Next to the arena is Shin and Piccolo!"**

Gohan's eyes snapped to his mentor, whose gaze hardened as soon as his name was called. The Namekian stood slowly, avoiding the teenager's stare as he stepped out into the arena, Shin not far behind him.

None of the Z-Fighter's spoke, not even to wish their friend good luck as they watched intently. It was the first they would see of the mysterious duo's power.

"Well well, this should be interesting, wouldn't you agree Piccolo?" the young saiyan heard Shin say softly, though Piccolo did not respond.

 **"This is the first time that Shin has participated in the tournament,"** Alonso informed the crowd, " **He's a man of few words so we know little about him, and that could spell trouble for our other competitor Piccolo, someone who, if my memory is correct, came close to turning this arena into rubble nearly eighteen years ago."**

The crowd gasped and cheered as the two fighter's entered the ring, though the temple became silent, as all eyes became fixated on the pair.

Gohan frowned, his mentor looked… uncomfortable. He could see that he was struggling with himself as he and Shin stared each other down.

 **"Let the third match begin!"**

 **DONG.**

But neither moved.

The young saiyan thought it was odd, he had expected Shin to have come at Piccolo full force. His mentor certainly wasn't the sort of fighter to do that. No, Piccolo liked to get all the facts, analyse the situation, something he had tried time upon time again to drill into the teenager, but alas Gohan was too stubborn for that. He wasn't one to waste any time when his friends were in danger.

But still, the two continued to stare each other down. Gohan didn't know just how much time had passed, but the crowd were starting to get restless.

"Oi! Are yeh deaf or wha'?! The gong has already sounded you know!"

"Come on, somebody throw a bloody punch!"

"I paid good money to see a _fight,_ not watch these two girls make eyes at each other!"

 **"Um, hello? You can start fighting now…"** said Alonso, but he was ignored.

A bead of sweat trickled down Piccolo's brow, he was struggling with something. Gohan hadn't seen his mentor like this… well… ever. With a quick Ki check, the teenager found Piccolo's energy to be fluctuating wildly.

The teenager's eyes widened - Piccolo couldn't focus. Which was completely unheard of. What on earth was irking him so much about Shin? The purple skinned being hadn't even moved a muscle!

Gohan could almost hear the cogs turning in his mentor's head, his eyes suddenly widening in realisation.

"N-no, it can't be," Piccolo whispered, horrorstruck.

"Ah Piccolo, don't worry yourself," said Shin in a pleasant tone, "All will be revealed soon enough. For now though, let's enjoy our little match."

The Namekian was frozen by the strange man's words. He stared at Piccolo with the same penetrative gaze that he had given Gohan, and the teenager thought he saw his mentor visibly shiver.

 **"So um, is this going to happen or…?"** Alonso asked uncertainly, attempting to ignore the angered shouts of the crowd.

Piccolo turned, defeat in his eyes, "I'm sorry, I can't."

Gohan and the rest of the Z-Fighter's were dumb stuck. The young saiyan had never seen his mentor back down from a fight.

Shin looked somewhat disappointed as Alonso asked, **"So does this mean you're forfeiting the match?"**

"Yes, it does," said Piccolo, before jumping from the platformed stage and making his way back to the temple, 'Boo's' and 'Hisses' following in his wake.

"Piccolo, is he really that strong?" Goku asked as the Namekian entered the cool shadows of the temple.

"Stronger than you could imagine," Piccolo replied, brushing past them and heading for the back of the room.

"Please tell me you've just got a headache or something?!" Krillin called after him as Alonso announced Shin as the victor, "Because one of us is going to have to go out there and fight him next, not to mention Gohan's up against that other weirdo!"

But his friend's cries were ignored, as Piccolo resumed his meditative pose in the corner of the room, though Gohan could still see the beads of sweat evident on his brow.

Was Shin really as strong as Piccolo said?

 **"Well then, without wasting any more time, let's get on with the next match!"** Alonso's voice bellowed over the stadium, **"Videl VS Spopovich!"**

At his words, fanfares sounded and the crowd roared in delight. It was clear that Videl had just as many supporter's out there as her father.

"They like you a lot don't they?" Gohan teased, as she looked up towards him, her face alight with excitement.

"VI-DEL! VI-DEL! VI-DEL! VI-DEL!" The crowd chanted wildly, their excitable cheers reaching far beyond the stadium.

Videl grinned back at him, "I hope my dad's watching."

"I'm sure he is," said the teenager, his eyes darting behind him to where Spopovich approached, "Just don't go too hard on the poor bloke alright? He's already ugly enough without a boot shaped dent in the middle of his face."

She chuckled, stepping out into the sunlight and greeting her adoring fans, "No promises."

 **"I'm sure that most of you already know that Videl here is the daughter of the world Champ, Mister Satan,"** Mister Alonso spoke into his microphone as the two fighter's made their way up to the ring, **"Seven years ago, she succeeded in becoming champion of the junior division and since then she has been working diligently with our boy's in blue, and of course the mysterious Gold Fighter, defending the great Satan City from crime! As for her rival today, Spopovich is here to redeem himself for a loss he suffered in the first round of the last tournament. He's obviously trained hard, and buffed up! I'm sure he'll be a mighty challenge for Satan City's golden girl!"**

"VI-DEL! VI-DEL! VI-DEL!" The crowd continued to chant in the girls favour, waving their flashy Satan banner's above their heads.

"Want me to go and get you a 'Videl's number one fan' banner Gohan?" Yamcha teased, "I'm sure she'd appreciate it!"

"Shut up," the teenager growled at his friend, before focussing his attention to the centre of the ring.

Spopovich was panting, leering at Videl as though she was some sort of prey to be ravaged. Gohan didn't like it, he wasn't sure where these school full of weirdos had sprung from, he had thought he had put an end to it as The Gold Fighter. But then again, didn't Jeremy Smithers mention that he had a master?

The way the hulking man was looking at her caused the young saiyan's blood to boil. Yet the brute's haunting stare didn't seem to phase Videl, who slid into her stance; poised, calm and collected, awaiting that all important-

 **DONG**

Videl was upon her opponent in an instant, taking a running jump and delivering a spinning kick straight to his skull.

Gohan winced as the sound of impact ricocheted over the stands. Still, he was glad that she wasn't wasting time, as judging from their last encounter of someone of this caliber, they didn't go down easy.

Unfortunately, Spopovich was no exception.

To the surprise of the spectator's, the brute of a man quickly recovered from the blow, clambering up from where he had skidded across the marble tiles of the ring.

Videl growled, but was undeterred as she sprung on him again, sending a barrage of punches into his gut before firing herself upwards and sending her knee crashing into his chin.

"Yowch!" Krillin hissed, "That's got to hurt!"

"Videl is quite the fighter, wouldn't you say Gohan?" his father chuckled, nudging him lightly in the ribs.

"HA!" Videl roared, sprinting towards Spopovich, who was dazed from the hit, and kneed him sharply in the gut. Spopovich flew backwards, landing towards the edge of the ring in a pitiful heap.

 **"Spopovich is down!"** Alonso cried, as the crowd erupted into cheers, **"Looks like Videl overpowered her opponent with that magnificent combo! I'll start the countdown! One…huh?!"**

The crowd gasped, as Spopovich rose, baring his teeth as blood and saliva dripped down his chin and onto the tiles. The Satan girl grimaced as the brute licked his lips clean, picking himself up from the ground, his eyes fixated on her.

" **Woah looks like Spopovich is back on his feet! Incredible!"**

"Wow he's resilient isn't he?" Goku blinked, as Videl careened forwards once more, delivering blow after blow into Spopovich's stomach.

Gohan nodded, "Yeah, they are."

"They?" quirked Vegeta, tearing his eyes away from the fight.

The young saiyan sighed, "Yeah, I encountered some of his mates as The Gold Fighter, they even gave me a bit of trouble."

"You're going down!" Videl's angered cry sounded from the arena, flipping over Spopovich's tall figure and elbowing him in the spine.

Spopovich cried out in pain, toppling to his hands and knees, but the girl didn't let up, and, clasping her hands together did she deliver a hammer fist to the back of his neck, causing him to face plant the ground. Hard.

Videl panted, wiping the sweat that had appeared on her brow before placing her hands on her hips and staring down at her opponent with hardened sapphire eyes.

Gohan couldn't help but let out a low whistle, how come had he never noticed just how sexy she looked when she fought before? It was evident from her Ki that she had gotten much stronger than when he had last seen her. But seeing it all up close was enough for the young saiyan to feel the sudden need for a cold shower.

 **"Spopovich is up** ** _again_** **!"** Alonso cried, half amazed, half horrified at the scene that was playing out before him.

Videl's eyes widened as the bloodied brute stood, glowering at her from across the ring. The young saiyan couldn't help but think that Spopovich and Yamu were a lot stronger than the other's they had previously fought. An attack like that surely would have made any of the other's loose consciousness.

It seemed his father had noticed this too, his obsidian eyes hardening.

"Videl should give up now," he said, causing the Z-Fighter's to stare at him.

"But why?" asked Yamcha, "she looks like she's holding her own out there."

"Don't be ridiculous," spat Vegeta, "Don't you see what's going on? There's no way that over sized buffoon should still be standing."

"Yeah you're right," admitted Gohan, "But there's a slight problem with that, the words 'I give up' just aren't in Videl's vocabulary."

 **BAM**

Spopovich had finally started to fight back, his large fist connecting with Videl's forearm as she blocked it. In seconds, she countered the attack, swinging her foot underneath Spopovich's legs and sending him toppling to the floor. Following up in her fury, Videl jumped as high as she could, coming down to meet Spopovich with a hard knee to the sternum.

But where Gohan had expected to hear the sound of his sternum snapping, did the startling sound of malicious laughter reach his ears instead.

"W-what?" The girl gasped from where she sat on top of him.

Spopovich all but gave her a sadistic grin before back handing her across the cheek and sending her careening across across the ring.

"Videl!" The young saiyan cried out in horror as he realised the girl was bleeding.

It was evident that her cheek bone had shattered from the impact, bright crimson blood pouring from the cut in her lip as she began to stand shakily to her feet. She panted, already exhausted from her own onslaught, but bore a fierce determination in her eyes.

Videl didn't have time to regain any strength, as Spopovich ran, faster than expected and made a grab for her. To Gohan's relief, the girl dodged out of the way of his oncoming fists, diving in between his enormous thighs and skidding to the other side of the ring.

Spopovich growled, salivating at the sight of the injured girl.

In a flash he launched himself towards Videl once more, too quick for her to react. In one swift movement, the large brute had grabbed the girl by the pig tails, lifting her high into the air. The girl screamed as Spopovich tugged, before punching her directly in the face over and over, causing blood to spurt unforgivingly from her now broken nose.

Gohan gritted his teeth, fury rising in his chest, but what happened next caused the young saiyan to gasp in horror.

It seemed the rest of the Z-Fighter's were bewildered too, as Spopovich's feet lifted off the ground, taking Videl with him.

"H-He can fly?!" Krillin gaped, as the pair hovered high over the area.

"This isn't good," the teenager heard his father speak, before an almighty roar echoed across the arena.

"NO!" Gohan yelled, as the stadium was suddenly illuminated in a brilliant purple light.

The shouts and screams of the crowd and Mister Alonso seemed distant to the young saiyan, as the energy wave erupted from Spopovich's palm and connected with Videl's body.

Her blood curdling scream intermingled with the combined cry of the Z-Fighter's, as her crumpled form plummeted to the ground from thirty feet into the air.

 **CRASH**

Videl hit the ring with such force that the tiles cracked underneath her. She gasped heavily, tears brimming in her eyes as the wind was forcibly knocked out of her.

 **"Oh no! Videl is down!"** Alonso cried, **"Oh well, I suppose I should start the count…"**

"It's a good job Spopovich's energy beams aren't very strong," Tien mused bitterly, his gaze fixated on the flattened form of Videl, "The fall has probably done more damage."

"You're missing the point three-eyes," Vegeta spoke to Gohan's surprise, "Spopovich has some source of unlimited power, he shouldn't be this strong. He's toying with her, he knows he'd loose the match if he killed her."

"Vegeta's right," said Goku, before turning to the teenager, "Did you know of anything like this when you fought their accomplices?"

Gohan blinked at the seriousness to his father's tone, "Well yeah, I thought it was odd because the people I fought didn't have those kind of powers beforehand, but unlimited? Do you really think so?"

"For Videl's sake," his father said firmly, "I hope not."

 **"One… Two…Three- O-oh! Videl! Videl is up ladies and gentleman! She's back in the fight!"**

"What?" Gohan gasped.

Indeed, the girl had struggled to her feet, her clothes singed and blooded but a look of fierce determination upon her features.

Spopovich landed before her, his eyes glinting with malice. Videl growled, though still breathless, and launched herself towards the brute once more.

"Damn it Videl stay down!" Gohan yelled, though the girl ignored him, kicking Spopovich so hard in the head that blood spurted from his ear.

Though he was quick to retaliate, snatching the girl's foot clean out of the air and yanking her towards him before connecting his skull with hers in a crippling head-but. Videl cried out in pain, as Spopovich followed up his attack with a sharp jab to her gut and an elbow to her spine, sending her crashing to the floor once more.

"That bastard!" the young saiyan spat, clenching his fists in anger, "That's enough!"

Videl quivered from where she lay on the ground face down, and Gohan was unsure of just how much more the girl could take, when Spopovich stepped up towards her, ginning from ear to ear as he flipped her over onto her back with a fierce kick to her side.

She coughed, blood and saliva escaping her mouth, her eyes scrunched up in pain. Gohan began to shake unbearably as Spopovich circled her like a vulture.

"Gohan…" his father warned him, the teenager knew his Ki was beginning to spike, catching the attention of the worried Z-Fighters.

Then, to the young saiyan's horror, Spopovich raised a mighty foot and brought it down upon Videl's ribcage.

 **CRACK**

The sound of Videl's ribs breaking reverberated off the tiles of the temple, reaching Gohan's ears with a sickening crunch. The crowd gasped from the stands, some even crying out for them to stop the match as Spopovich continued in his onslaught, crushing the young girl's body beneath his feet.

Videl was being tortured.

Her screams and cries of pain was enough to send the young saiyan's heart shattering into a million pieces.

And he would not stand for it any longer.

"Calm down brat!" Vegeta snapped, as the teenager's white aura erupted around him, creating a gust that almost knocked them off their feet.

"Gohan, no, stop it!" His father said hotly, "You're not going out there!"

The young saiyan glared at his father, fury in his onyx eyes, "Just try to fucking stop me."

Goku took a step back, blinking rapidly as the halfling blasted from the temple, Videl's desperate screams echoing in his ears.

It was no wonder Spopovich didn't see him coming, as he shot towards the treacherous brute like a speeding bullet, his boot connecting with the side of his skull.

 **BOOM**

Spopovich was fired out of the ring by the sheer force of Gohan's blow, the kick sending him careening into the steel barricades that surrounded the outside of the ring. They groaned and collapsed inwards, the hulk of a man lay embedded in the debris, scarlet blood pouring out of his nose, ears and mouth. The blow should have sorely killed him on impact, but to the young saiyan's displeasure the brute was merely unconscious, stirring ever so slightly as Gohan bent down to scoop Videl up from the floor.

She too, was almost out cold, her eyes glassy and unfocused, "G-gold Fighter?"

"It's alright Videl, I've got you," he replied, ignoring her confusion and clutching her to his chest.

"S-should I call for a stretcher?" Alonso asked shakily from where he was hovering beside the ring.

"No," said Gohan forcibly, "I'll take her to the medical bay myself."

"YOU BRAT!"

The young saiyan turned, as a bruised and bloodied Spopovich thundered towards him, a murderous glint in his eyes. The tall man towered over Gohan, gritting his teeth, his breath quickening as he spoke, "You will pay for that _boy_!"

Alonso squeaked, hiding behind Gohan at the sight of the walking, talking Spopovich.

"I'd get out of my way if I were you Spopovich," the teenager glowered, "Before I do some damage that you won't be able to walk away from."

"Is that a threat?"

"Gentlemen!" Alonso cried, clearing his throat, "I-I'm sorry but I have to ask you to settle your differences outside of the arena!"

"Gladly," spat Gohan, his eyes not leaving Spopovich, "Just give me a few moments to get Videl some medical attention and then I'd be more than happy to rip out his spine and wear it as a pretty necklace, sound good big guy? Where to? My place or yours? You name it, it doesn't bother me where I end up beating the living shit out of you."

Spopovich growled viciously, as Alonso sweated nervously at the young saiyan's display. But before anyone could make a move, did a voice sound from near the temple.

"Spopovich," it was Yamu, staring at the scene with clear indifference, his arms folded across his chest, "Stop playing with the children, we have more important matters to attend to."

The hulking man snarled, giving Gohan one last look of malice before kicking off from the ground and following his comrade into the air.

"Thank goodness he's gone," Alonso puffed, wiping the sweat from his brow and lifting the microphone to his lips, **"As the match has been interrupted, our tournament officials have had no choice but to make a decision on the outcome of the match… and the winner is… Spopovich! But what resilience from Satan City's golden girl, what a strong athlete we have here folks, let's have a round of applause for Videl!"**

The crowd broke out into polite applause, still shaken from the ordeal. Gohan clutched Videl a little tighter, stepping down from the platform as Alonso continued,

 **"Unfortunately, as Son Gohan entered the ring during the fight, he will be disqualified, meaning that Kibito automatically advances to the next round. I'm sorry Gohan but rules are rules… now, as we are nearly at our halfway point, I think a short interlude is in order. I'm sure you'll agree that we all need it."**

Gohan snorted, he knew he would be disqualified for interrupting the fight. Though by his standards it was completely worth it, if he hadn't had stepped in then who knows what would have happened to Videl. She had become badly injured enough as it was, and he couldn't believe he had stood there and let it continue for so long. He was furious with himself.

Brushing past the stricken Z-Fighters without a word, the young saiyan headed out of the temple and made his way to the medical bay, wishing that he had managed to hit Spopovich just that little bit harder. 


	28. A Hybrid's Power

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

 **A Hybrid's Power**

 **xxxx**

Making his way hurriedly through the corridors of the temple buildings, Gohan finally located the medical bay, situated next to the spa, gym and sauna rooms that had been built for fighters to relax in before the tournament. The first aid staff and tournament officials almost jumped out of their skins when the enraged halfling burst through the oak doors of the medical wing, ordering them to find Videl a bed.

She had eventually passed out on the way, and now the young saiyan was sat behind a curtain that they had drawn around Videl's bed, waiting impatiently as doctor's cleaned her wounds. His leg bounced in anticipation, as he heard the doctor's talking about hooking her up to IV's in order to give her some much needed blood. The young saiyan gritted his teeth, he had half the mind to go back and hunt down Spopovich when a loud bellow interrupted his thoughts.

"VIDEL?! VIDEL! DON'T WORRY BABY, DADDY'S COMIN'!"

Gohan sighed, this was all he needed.

Hercule Satan burst through the doors, knocking a tournament official flying as he sprinted across the room, and threw back the curtains of Videl's bed. Luckily, the girl was fully covered up, bandages encompassing her chest as well as one covering her wrist and upper arm. Scrapes, grazes and bruises littered her body, her hair fanned out over the pillow and free of it's pigtails.

"Oh, m-my poor little girl," Mister Satan gasped, lowering himself into a chair next to her. To Gohan's surprise, tears welled up in the strong man's eyes and the young saiyan had never seen the usually pompous man look so vulnerable.

"I expect she will make a full recovery Mister Satan sir," one of the doctor's informed him, "About a week's bed rest and a few more after that for her broken ribs to heal. I'm afraid she won't be able to train for a while."

"No training?!" the hairy man roared, causing the doctor to jump in fright. Slowly, Mister Satan lowered his head, picking up Videl's hand and kissing it lightly, "Oh my poor baby, this will break her heart."

He growled, his nostrils suddenly flaring in anger, "I just don't understand it! How could you loose to someone like Spopovich Videl?! He's a weakling! Or at least he was…damn that bastard."

"Yes," the doctor coughed, "I'm afraid it may have been a lot worse, were it not for this young man bringing her to us so swiftly."

Mister Satan blinked, his beady blue eyes finally settling on Gohan.

"Um, hi?"

"YOU!" Satan yelled, getting up from his chair and thundering towards him.

The young saiyan winced, not because he was scared, oh no, but because he didn't really fancy getting Mister Satan's flying saliva all over his favourite shirt.

"You…" he repeated, looking Gohan up and down, "You were the kid that had the nerve to dance with _my_ daughter weren't you?"

The teenager nodded slowly, "Er, yes?"

"I saw you, stupid boy, jumping into the ring like that… you…" Mister Satan sniffed, his eyes full of emotion, "you saved my little girl."

Then, to Gohan's surprise and sheer horror, did he feel the crushing force of the Champ's hairy arms wrap around his middle. Mister Satan pulled him tighter, lifting him off his feet as his face became embedded into his chest hair.

Well, this was awkward.

"Thank you," Hercule whispered, finally letting him go.

"I wish I could have done more sir," Gohan wheezed, his face burning.

Mister Satan cleared his throat, composing himself quickly, "Well, good work kid. I'll get you an autograph or something."

"Wow thanks," the young saiyan drawled, though the Champ didn't seem to catch on to his sarcastic tone as he sat back down in the chair next to Videl's bedside, looking completely forlorn.

"Mister Satan?"

"What is it kid?" the large man asked, unable to tear his eyes away from his daughter.

"Do you think you could do something for me?" the teen asked, causing Hercule to look towards him.

"I don't know how many times I have to say it," he said with an exasperated sigh, "I don't do those types of workout DVD's anymore, not after the complaints I got last time -"

"Um, no sir," Gohan interrupted, he really didn't want to know, "I was thinking that you might be able to pull a few strings and get me back into the competition?"

The Champ let out a low whistle, "That's a big ask kid, I don't know…"

"Think of it this way," mused the young saiyan, leaning casually up against the wall next to Mister Satan and folding his arms across his chest, "If I can get back in and win my fight with Kibito, I'll be up against Spopovich next. That way, I can make him pay for what he did to Videl and you won't have to waste your time on him and focus on your matches."

He eyed Mister Satan carefully, he would have thought that the Champ would want revenge for what Spopovich did to Videl, but Gohan knew that there was no way he would last two seconds against the super powered brute. For Gohan it was a win win situation, he could go up against Kibito and figure out what he was all about, and if he beat him then he could face Spopovich one on one.

"Alright, you've got my attention," said Hercule, eyeing the teen, "But what makes you think you can beat him? He certainly doesn't fight like he used to.""

"No offence sir, but you just saw me drop kick a bloke twice my size into a wall, and you're honestly doubting my abilities?" said Gohan, raising an eyebrow.

"You've got guts kid. I like it," the Champ snorted, thinking for a moment, "Alright, I'll get you back in, but don't come crying to me if you lose."

"There's no need to worry about that," the teenager grinned.

"HA HA HA!" Hercule roared, slapping him hard on the shoulder so that he lurched forwards a little, "But first tell me this, what's your relationship with my Videl? It's not usual for her to let a little punk like you hang around her. Saviour or not, if you've laid a hand on her I'll - "

Luckily, before Gohan could even dream up a retort, there was a knock at the door. Quickly, the teenager spun around, swinging open the door to reveal -

"Dad? What are you doing here?" he whispered, eyeing his father who was giving him a cheery grin.

"Hey son, how's Videl?" Goku enquired, craning his neck to see over him.

"Not too great," he replied sadly.

"Oh," the older saiyan sighed, before breaking out into a beaming smile, "Well it's lucky I went to Korin's and picked up some senzu beans!"

The teenager gaped, "You did?"

"Well of course I did," said Goku, "Couldn't leave Videl here suffering from her injuries now could we? Here."

Gohan stretched out his palm as his father unfastened a string bag from his gi belt and placed one of the beans in his hand.

"Wow, um, thanks Dad," the young saiyan blinked at his father's quick thinking. Why hadn't he thought of that? "I'll give it her now."

"Good, give her my best," he smiled, before turning his head towards the corridor behind him, "You'd better get out of here soon, I just saw a heard of reporters heading this way, didn't think you'd want to stick around for that."

After his father had left, Gohan had stayed with Videl whilst Hercule went to tackle the paparazzi. Apparently, they had dozen's of questions to ask about _Son Gohan_ and why he so valiantly stepped in the fight between Videl and Spopovich. The Champ, luckily, refused to answer any questions regarding his daughter's love life and instead set about getting Gohan back into the tournament.

The young saiyan took the opportunity to give Videl the senzu bean whilst they were alone, pushing it in between her lips and instructing her to chew. The girl visibly winced at the bitter taste, but did as she was told. Swallowing it gratefully, she had opened her eyes for a few seconds before drifting back off to sleep.

Knowing it would take a while for the effects to work due to the extent of her injuries, the young saiyan headed back to the arena, where Alonso was already addressing the crowd.

"Is Videl alright Gohan?" Yamcha asked as he entered the temple.

"She will be," he replied, with a quick look to his father, "She's just had a senzu bean."

"Yeah your dad was saying," said Krillin with a concerned stare, "Lucky Korin had a fresh batch going. I'd usually keep some on me, but I didn't think that we'd need them!"

"That's alright Krillin, don't worry about it," smiled Gohan.

"That was one hell of a kick you delivered to Spopovich," Tien observed, "I'm surprised that he was able to walk away from it."

"Tch," Vegeta scoffed, "He wouldn't have done if you had been training seriously all this time brat, what you did was completely reckless, not to mention sloppy."

"Back off Vegeta," Piccolo growled, as the young saiyan felt his father's eyes burning into him.

"I think they're talking about you Gohan," Eighteen called from beside him, as Alonso's voice boomed over the stadium.

 **"…change of circumstance owing to the events of the last match. Yes, that's right folks, Son Gohan has been allowed back into the competition for his display of incredible valour. This decision certainly is controversial, but I think you'll all agree that this young man deserves his place in the championships!"**

The crowd cheered, waving their arms and clapping their hands in appreciation of the officials decision.

" _Thank you_ Mister Satan," the teenager grinned, causing the group to look at him.

"Mister Satan?" Krillin quirked disbelievingly.

 **"So without further ado, let's welcome Gohan and Kibito into the ring!"**

"I'll explain later," said Gohan, looking towards the arena where the red skinned Kibito was already standing at the entrance, waiting, "I've got a match to win."

The roar of the restless crowd reached his ears as he stepped into the glorious sunshine. He had noticed Yamu and Spopovich had long left the area, and it was a good job too.

The young saiyan's tail waved around him in anticipation. He needed to win this match in order to face Spopovich in the ring, all he had to do was get past the mysterious Kibito. His eyes averting to the man that was stood two feet over him, he noticed a deep scowl on his features.

Yeah, shouldn't be too hard.

"Good luck Gohan," his father called after him as he and Kibito made their way down the path towards the ring, though his tone was far from cheerful.

"Be careful kiddo!" he heard Yamcha shout.

Gohan gritted his teeth, he couldn't sense much power coming from his opponent, although he knew from experience that the man could easily be suppressing it. The odd duo had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and it was obvious they were not of this world. The Z-Fighter's had had their fair dealings with aliens, and shifty characters alike. But it wasn't like Piccolo to back out of a fight.

Gohan glanced back at his mentor, who had stepped forwards to watch the match. The Namekian's beady eyes were fixed to the back of Kibito's head as he stood stoic, though the teenager could tell that his mentor was far from calm.

The roar of the crowd rushed through his ears, as he attempted to blink the sunlight out of his eyes. It was overwhelming, the reality of just how many people were seated in the arena hitting him full force as he stepped into the ring. He had never had so many people watching him before, not even as The Gold Fighter. His heart started to pound in his ears, adrenaline and nerves flooding his veins all at once.

Kibito turned, a small smirk played on his lips as his dark eyes locked with his.

Shaking himself mentally, the young saiyan glared back, and continued to do so as Alonso introduced them to the stadium.

 **"Son Gohan is the eldest son of the former champion Son Goku, and is the youngest competitor in the adult division at just seventeen years old! But don't let that put you off folks, this young man struck a new world record in the preliminaries, and we can already take a guess on how well he fights as he knocked Spopovich clean out of the ring! Now as for Kibito, we can only assume that he is from the same martial arts background as Shin from their similar clothing. This man here stands at a whopping eight and a half feet tall! But don't be alarmed by the size different folks, as I think we can all agree that in fighting, size truly doesn't matter!"**

Gohan snorted, eventually tearing his eyes away from Kibito, his penetrative stare far too unnerving. At one point, he could of sworn he heard Gokuto cheer for him, but his little face was lost amongst the sea of spectators.

Taking a deep breath, the teen glanced towards the temple where his father, Piccolo and the others were watching him intently. Shin stood to the side of them, his gaze ever piercing as Gohan and Kibito took their place opposite one another.

 **"Fighter's I hope you're ready!"** Alonso called, **"Because here. we. GOOOOO!"**

 **DONG**

The sound of the gong reverberated over the stadium, signalling the beginning of the match.

Immediately, Gohan slipped into his fighting stance, yet Kibito did not move.

The large man stood as still as a statue, his hands clasped firmly behind his back. The teenager stared, his tail flickering behind him, prepared for Kibito's impending attack. Gohan swallowed heavily, pushing the roar of the crowd to the back of his mind so that his only focus was Kibito.

It seemed like an age had gone by, when Kibito finally spoke.

"Gohan, show me your super saiyan power."

The teenager raised an eyebrow, shocked, "What?"

"Show me your true power," he repeated gruffly, causing the boy to frown.

"What for?" asked the halfling, "and how do you know I can transform into a super saiyan?"

"All will be revealed soon young one. Now, I have kindly asked you to reveal your power, and you will show it to me," Kibito stated.

Gohan scoffed, "Well I'm going to kindly have to ask you to fuck off. I don't do requests."

Kibito blinked, clearly affronted by the teenagers words, "You would be wise not to test me _boy_."

"And why's that?" the teenager shot back.

"GOHAN!"

The halfling turned, surprised as to Piccolo's sudden shout. His mentor was staring at him with an hardened expression, causing Gohan's eyes to widen in realisation.

"You've got to be _joking!_ " The young saiyan called over to him, "You seriously think I'm going to take orders from _him_? I'm not going to transform in front of all these people!"

Yet Piccolo's stern stare did not waver, causing the halfling to let out a cry of frustration.

"Brilliant," the teenager huffed, "all my hard work trying to keep my identity a secret, and for what? Just for some bloke in a dress to out me."

Kibito's eye twitched.

Looking towards a stubborn Piccolo once more, who was sweating profusely, his eyes flickering from him to Shin and back again. Gohan couldn't believe it, what was it about these berks that had his mentor's back up so much that he was willing to let him throw away his secret identity?! The teenager sighed, he knew Piccolo wouldn't do it unless he had a very _very_ good reason.

Well, if he was going to be outed, he would rather do it in style.

"So big guy," the teenager glowered, "Do you just want to see a super saiyan? Or should I step it up to the next level?"

Gohan smirked at Kibito's sudden surprise.

"What?" he frowned, "There's a level beyond that of a super saiyan? That is what we sensed?"

The atmosphere grew tense as a gust of cold air blew between the two fighters. The young saiyan's tail flickered behind him, of course he knew it was risky, transforming into his ascended super saiyan state with all these people around. He still hadn't quite mastered it, though he had managed to bring his power forwards several times when training with Goten over the last couple of months, but the power was so difficult to control that he couldn't hold it for very long. Still, the transformation could just scare Kibito off, and then he could get on with his fight with Spopovich.

Gohan could feel the power brewing inside him already as the arena grew silent, the tiles gently wavering beneath their feet. The teenager clenched his fists as Kibito watched him intently, grasping onto the monstrous energy that he had tried to suppress so many times. He let out a deep, shuddering breath and closed his eyes.

Fighting through his memories, Gohan latched onto the image of Cell, taunting him, goading his friends to their deaths. A spark of electricity ran down the length of his scarred arm, snapping at the air like a cobra. Then, other images circled around in his mind; Lime, soot covered and lifeless, lying on the silk covered bed in The Lookout, her turquoise eyes empty - seeing nothing. Gokuto, fragile and helpless in the incubator, tubes and bandages littering his tiny body. Then, a new image flew into his head of Videl being crushed by Spopovich, her blood curdling screams echoing around the stadium.

Finally, the young saiyan found his rage and pulled.

With a roar that shook the arena, a fierce gust of wind picked up around his feet. Kibito stumbled back, as Gohan growled, his Ki spiking. Onyx iris' faded, and in their place sparkled a sharp green. His black hair stood on end as a golden aura erupted around his form. Muscles bulging as his stance stood strong, his hair flashed gold and spiked further upwards, the weight of the long locks pulling it downwards, whilst leaving a stubborn bang wavering across his face. His tail twitched and jerked, as bolts of electricity ran down its brown length, snapping and crackling into his aura.

Then, it was like a volcano had erupted, as the teenager struggled to keep the scream from escaping his chest. A bright, golden light illuminated the stands, bathing the spectators in a brilliant glow.

It took a few seconds for the light to fade, and when it did, the crowd gasped in utter amazement, as the golden haired teenager stood across from Kibito, silver bolts resembling lightening licking at his aura.

"Blimey! It's The Gold Fighter!"

Gohan ignored the sudden chatter of excitement that rippled across the stadium, and looked towards Kibito with a steely resolve.

"So, are you going to fight me or what big guy?"

A bead of sweat escaped Kibito's brow, trickling down his cheek and dropping onto his garb. Gohan frowned, confused as the red-skinned man didn't utter a word. The teenager couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, he was half expecting him to squeal in fright.

Huh, maybe Piccolo was right about keeping his guard up around them, Kibito may be more difficult to beat that he had originally thought.

 **"Woah! I don't believe it ladies and gentleman! I-it's The Gold Fighter!"** Alonso cried, lowering his sunglasses to blink in awe at the teenager, **"That's right folks you saw it here today, the world's best loved superhero, the young boy that fought Cell, has revealed himself as Son Gohan!"**

"Oh for Kami's _sake_!" Gohan roared, sparks snapping at his aura as Alonso cowered in fear, "I'm not a superhero, I'm a-!"

But the halfling was cut short, as all at once did he feel a strange energy spike from behind him. Kibito seemed to have noticed it too, as his head suddenly perked up, staring at something over Gohan's shoulder. The teenager whirled around, sharp green eyes spotting the two hulking brute's as they came hurtling towards him from the sidelines.

He smirked, oh it's on now.

Gohan spun to his right, just as Spopovich's large hands made a grab towards him. The young saiyan avoided the psychotic man easily, bringing up his leg to embed his boot into the slime balls stomach, when suddenly, he stopped short.

He struggled, as a strong, unknown force held him back. Gohan gasped, feeling invisible rope wrap around his entire body, clamping his arms to his sides, his aura dissipating in an instant. He could hear some kind of commotion coming from the temple entrance, but found he could not move his head to investigate. Kibito stood a ways off, stepping back as Spopovich and Yamu successfully grabbed hold of the young saiyan.

"Oi! What the-?!" was all Gohan could muster as Spopovich wrapped his forearm tightly around his neck. The teenager struggled against his invisible restraints, his golden aura bursting to life before disappearing once more.

The young saiyan gasped, as Yamu raised a long oval shaped container into the air with a spike at the helm, a look of malice in his eyes. He growled, as the sharp, pointed end of the strange device lunged towards him, piercing the flesh in his side. Pain erupted in between Gohan's ribs as the blade pushed through muscle, sinew and bone. Muscle fibres ripped in two, his nervous pathways tensing, sending signals of alarm rushing to his brain.

 **"Oh no!"** Mister Alonso yelled in terror, **"The Gold Fighter has been stabbed! Stop the match! Stop the match!"**

Something was wrong.

No one was helping him. Why?

He panicked, his only thought was that his father and friends were in trouble too.

Fighting it was hopeless, as Gohan felt warm blood pour from the wound. The one side of his shirt was drenched, the smell of blood reaching his nostrils and bile rising in his throat as droplets splattered upon the marble tiles.

The contraption that had stabbed him he could just about bear, but what came next made the teenager unleash a blood curdling scream that echoed around the temple grounds.

He couldn't stop himself, the agony was just too great. It felt like his life was leaving him, black spots appeared before his vision as he fought to keep himself conscious. White flashes of light emitted from the strange device Yamu was holding, illuminating the stadium in an eerie glow.

Gohan felt his super saiyan transformation leave him all together, his hair and eyes returning to their usual colour, his tail hanging limp behind him. He could hear the desperate and horrified screams of the crowd around him. Blood was rushing in his ears, sounds were mingling together; laughter, shouting, screaming. His mind started to cloud, he could just about still feel Spopovich's grip around his throat.

Suddenly, a spark of Ki illuminated his senses. He couldn't depict where it was coming from, but it stood out like a shining beacon, far above the rest of the life energy in the nearest vicinity. It warmed his being, the energy bright, familiar and powerful.

At first, he thought it was his father, finally coming to rescue him. A sense of relief washed over him, well, it took him bloody long enough.

"DADDDDDYYYY!"

The cry was unmistakable through the crowd. The teenager's eyes widened in shock, his stomach plummeted, his heart clenched.

Gokuto.

He couldn't even begin to comprehend the enormous Ki emanating from the child, as Spopovich was knocked clean off his feet by a shining golden blur and sent crashing into the side of temple. Dust and debris rained upon the gigantic brute as Yamu was blasted away from the force.

Gohan dropped to the floor with a dull thud. Blood pooling around him as he panted, struggling to lift his head as he gaped at the child in front of him.

"Stupid brat!" He heard Yamu curse from some ways behind him.

Gokuto was lying a few feet away, clearly dazed by the impact. There was a golden aura surrounding his otherwise non-super saiyan body, though it disappeared in an instant. Relief filled Gohan's chest as slowly, the toddler stood up, shaking his messy black hair out of his bright green eyes.

"Daddy!" the boy cried, tears streaming down his cheeks as he ran to kneel beside the bloodied teen.

"G-Gokuto," Gohan gulped, not quite able to catch his breath. His skin was pale and eyes dull, as he shakily reached up a hand to wipe a tear away from Gokuto's cheek. "H-how did you-?"

"Daddy, you're hurt!" the child sniffed, his gaze searching his father's eyes.

"I'm fine kiddo," said Gohan, straining himself to focus on the boy, "'Kuto, you need to run."

"But Daddy-!"

" _Run_ Gokuto," the teenager spoke firmly, before suddenly, Gokuto's body stiffened and he slumped to the floor.

"No!" Gohan yelled, as the sneering face of Yamu roughly picked the child up by the tail, "Leave him alone you bastards!"

Yamu responded by kicking the teenager in the skull, before calling over his shoulder, "Oi Spopovich, you alright?"

"Yeah," the hulk of a man growled, rubbing his head as he picked himself out of the rubble, "That's no ordinary kid, I'm telling ya. Look, at the dial."

Gohan, dazed but not yet unconscious, stared at the strange device Spopovich held in his palms. It was circular in shape, and looked like some sort of measuring tool. The large man pointed it towards Gokuto, who was softly crying in Yamu's grip, the hand of the dial reaching it's highest point, before it started to shudder and steam - exploding in a shower of smoke.

"No way," Yamu spat, "Theres no way this little kid can have that much energy."

"I say we take him," Spopovich glowered, "Master Babidi might reward us for this, the little brat could be useful."

"N-NO!" The young saiyan gasped in desperation, his heart pounding rapidly in his ears, "YOU CANT TAKE HIM! I WON'T LET YOU!"

The two men roared with laughter at the halfling's display, as he lay broken and bloodied in the centre of the ring. And all Gohan could do watch, helpless as Spopovich and Yamu kicked off from the ground, a white aura surrounding them as they blasted off into the distance at break neck speed, taking Gokuto with them.

The teenager slammed his fist to the ground in frustration, the tiles cracking underneath him from the force of his knuckles upon the marble. How _dare_ they. How dare they take Gokuto away from him! The poor boy looked terrified, his eyes pleaded with Gohan to save him. But he couldn't. Gohan gritted his teeth in anger, quivering as Kibito approached him.

"You must stay still Gohan, you've lost a lot of blood," the red skinned man spoke solemnly.

The young saiyan thought about telling him where he could stick his orders, when he realised that the strange man was right, it would be unwise for him to move right now for want of not causing any permanent damage, and that wouldn't do Gokuto any good either.

Suddenly, he felt the somewhat familiar warm sensation of healing rush through his aching body. He looked up, and was surprised to find that it was Kibito that was healing him, though his palms did not emit a soft glow like Dende's did. Instead, there was nothing but a light gust of power emanating from his outstretched finger tips. Gohan felt an odd tingling sensation in his chest, before he felt his life energy return to him.

"Now, you must rest," said Kibito, kneeling before him, "Please come Gohan, all will be explained."

"I don't care what you have to say," the teenager grunted, getting steadily to his feet, "I'm going to get my son back."

"Don't be ridiculous, you have no idea who you're dealing with!" Kibito protested, standing up tall above the young saiyan.

"And it seems you don't either," Gohan growled, his onyx eyes narrowing at the man, "You would be wise to let me past, seen as you did nothing to stop them from taking my son!"

"Foolish boy!" Kibito spat, as suddenly, a gust of wind erupted around them and Gohan burst into his super saiyan form, "Do not think that you can just go after them so readily! You'll only put the rest of us in danger!"

"Why should I trust you?!" The super saiyan teen roared, "I don't even know who the bloody hell you are!"

"As I said, all we be explained in good time…"

"Well I'm afraid I don't _have_ time!" Gohan seethed, "I'm going to get my son, you even _try_ to stop me again and I'll do whatever it takes. That includes going through YOU."

And with that, the furious teenager shot into the sky. Ignoring the desperate shouts coming from the temple, along with the shocked and aghast cries coming from the stands, Gohan ignited his golden aura, creating a sonic boom over the stadium as he sped off in Spopovich and Yamu's direction.

But to Gohan's dismay, he didn't get far, as all too soon he felt a spark of Ki in the distance, before his father appeared in front of him.

The young super saiyan yelped, skidding to a halt mid air, almost crashing into the man who bore a deep frown on his features.

Kami he was starting to loath instant transmission.

"Out of my way Dad!" The teenager spat, confused as to the sudden interruption.

"No Gohan," his father said sternly, "You have to calm down."

"Calm down?!" Gohan gaped angrily, "You're telling me to calm down when you literally just saw my son getting _kidnapped_ by those lunatics?!"

"You need to wait Gohan," Goku pressed, "There's something bigger going on here."

"Wait for what?" he snarled, "For Gokuto to get killed?! You can stay here if you want and continue to be just as useless as you were back there, but I'm going!"

The teenager sped past him, put was forcibly grabbed back by the scruff of his collar.

"Get _off_ me!" the teenager yelled, but Goku held on tighter.

"Watch how you take your tone with me Son Gohan," his father glowered, surprising him, he had never spoken to him like that before.

Before the young saiyan could retort, did he feel a flurry of Ki's approach them, and soon enough did Piccolo, Vegeta, Krillin, Eighteen, Yamcha and Tien, along with Shin and Kibito reach them, stopping in mid-air in front of the two scuffling saiyan's.

"Ah, Goku, I see you've caught up to him," Shin smiled knowingly, "I must say that the instant transmission technique is rather impressive."

Gohan snorted, wriggling free of his father who all but gave him a stern look.

"Are you alright mate?" asked Krillin worriedly, the atmosphere tense.

"Oh me?" the teenager quirked, "Yeah I'm just grand, I just got stabbed and a pair of maniacs just nicked off with my kid, I'm having a whale of a time."

"Gohan, I assure you that I did not intend for your son to become endangered," Shin spoke in a soothing tone, "It is an unfortunate series of events that I could not have predicted."

"Oh well thanks," the halfling spat, "That makes me feel loads better."

"Gohan, that is no way to speak to the Supreme Kai," Piccolo said sternly.

Gohan blinked, "The say what now?"

"That's correct young halfling," said Shin, "I am the Supreme Kai, overseer of the creations of the universe, and I believe you are acquainted with my assistant deity Kibito."

Kibito snarled, apparently, he didn't seem all too pleased with Gohan's display.

"So, you're like the big boss?" asked the teen.

He had heard of the Kai's, King Kai of the Northern Galaxy in particular through his father's stories of Otherworld, though he had never heard of a Supreme being ruling over them and the entire universe.

The Supreme Kai chuckled, "If that's what you want to call it, then yes I suppose I am."

"Then what are you doing here on Earth?" the teenager pressed, still a little sceptical.

The deity's expression darkened, "As I was explaining to your friends before your departure, Kibito and I are on a mission to stop an evil wizard named Babidi from unleashing a powerful ancient monster known as Majin Buu."

"Majin who?"

"Not who, _Buu_ ," Shin corrected, "A great destroyer that was unleashed by Babidi's father, Bibidi thousands of years ago. Buu was eventually defeated after many years of battle, and was sealed in a spherical prison that was buried within this very planet's core when it was still in it's infancy. Buu can only be released by a very powerful kind of dark magic, known as Majin magic, though I was naive to think that Bibidi's son was not as accomplished in the dark arts as his father. Kibito and I knew that Babidi would eventually find his way to Earth, and enter his minions in the World Martial Arts Tournament to gather more energy to free Buu."

"Energy?" the teenager gaped, "They're going to use _my_ energy to release that monster?!"

"They will try," Shin said solemnly, "Though they will need a lot more pure energy like yours to release Buu Gohan, Majin magic alone isn't enough. Buu is a very powerful being, which is why Babidi has drafted many corruptible souls to work for him and drain other's energy in order to revive him."

Gohan shuddered, this Babidi character sounded just as bad as Cell. He didn't even want to think about the amount of lives that had been lost due to the wizard's selfish desires.

"It seems your fight with Cell was what drew Babidi to this planet," the Kai continued, causing the Z-Fighter's to stare at Gohan, "It took him many years to reach the Northern Galaxy, and was a happy coincidence for the wizard when he found that Buu was hidden away on this planet also. It is my belief that Babidi has been searching for you all this time, and when you made your appearance as your alter ego during the match, he instructed Spopovich and Yamu to attack. I apologise for keeping this from you Gohan, but the loss of your energy was a sacrifice that had to be made in order for us to follow Babidi's minion's to his hiding place."

"So if they have my energy already, what do they want with Gokuto?" he spat angrily, not quite believing what a day this was turning into.

"That, I am not quite sure of at this time," said Shin, "though I am certain the wizard will find a use for him. Like I said, Buu is incredibly strong and will need more energy to unleash him from his prison. The child has an incredible power, something I haven't seen in a very long time."

"So, all we need to do is destroy the wizard and get the runt back before he unleashes this demon," Vegeta drawled. "What are you so worried about Kai?"

The Supreme Kai drew a sharp intake of breath, staring deeply into the prince's obsidian eyes, "My worry is that Babidi has underestimated the power of Majin Buu. We will have to act carefully, as if Babidi realises the child's potential and Gokuto's power is drained, combined with Gohan's power and countless others, Buu will awaken. I'm afraid that if that happens then there is no hope, Babidi will be unable to control him. The mere existence of the universe will be doomed."


	29. The Demon King

_Wow over 130 followers! Thank you so much everyone, I'm really excited to share this chapter, and hope you find it as entertaining as I did when writing it. Thank you for all the kind reviews and support as always! xx_

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight**

 **The Demon King**

 **xxxx**

"Pfft, he looks like a flea."

"Do not let his appearance fool you Gohan, Babidi is a very dark and powerful wizard."

"Whatever."

They had followed Yamu and Spopovich to a barren wasteland, not too far away from the Northern mountains. The area was devoid of any life, the remaining trees scorched and the rocky ground upheaved as though it had been recently disturbed. It was apparent from the entranceway of marble and steel protruding from the dirt, that the wizard's space ship lay underneath, hidden away from the outside world. The young saiyan couldn't help but think that Babidi already knew of The Supreme Kai's and Kibito's presence here on Earth.

The wizard's appearance had shocked Gohan at first, he certainly wasn't what he had been expecting from the horrific tales The Supreme Kai had been telling him. Babidi had emerged out of the entrance as soon as Yamu and Spopovich had landed in front of the doorway. He had sickly green skin and a bald head. He was perhaps even shorter than Chaiozu, and wore long robes with an orange cape, long scrawny fingers clasped behind his back.

Gohan and the other's had landed on a nearby cliff face, overlooking the scene as they suppressed their power levels. He had powered down out of his transformation, though the teenager was struggling to keep his energy from rising.

"DADDY! DADDY! HELP ME!" Gokuto cried, his face blotchy and red as Yamu gripped him forcibly by the tail.

"Gohan, please stay calm," the Kai soothed, as the teenager gritted his teeth in anger. His heart ached as the boy's wails echoed over the desolate land.

"I swear Kai," he growled, tearing his eyes away, "One wrong move from that wizard and I'll -"

"Hm what's this? What do I want with a toddler?" Gohan heard Babidi call, as the little saiyan was dangled upside down in front of him.

"His energy is very great master," said Yamu, bowing his head in respect, "We thought he may prove useful to you."

"You don't say…" the wizard quirked, eyeing the boy, when he gasped, pointing at his tail, "Ah! A saiyan! My my how _rare_! Maybe he will be of use to my plans after all…"

Gohan struggled to keep his anger at bay, as Gokuto cried out once more.

"No! I don't wanna come with you!" he howled, thrashing about in midair, "My daddy will get you! He will punch you in the face!"

"Oh my," Babidi chuckled, "Spoken like a true saiyan, how marvellous! Who is his father?"

"The kid we got the energy from," informed Spopovich, laying down the canister at his master's feet, "Troublesome little bleeder he was."

"So she was correct, there _are_ saiyan's on this planet," the wizard mused to himself before turning his head towards the doorway, "Oh Dabura? Checha? Will you please come out here for a moment?"

"No, it can't be!" The Supreme Kai whispered beside him, as at once, two figures stepped out into the sunlight.

One was taller than the other, with red skin and short black hair, pointed horns upon his head. His ears were large and pointed, and he wore blue robes with a white cape and belt. He had a sadistic grin upon his bearded face, sharp fangs protruding from his lip.

The other was a blue skinned man of humanoid stature. He was around a head shorter than his comrade, with lean muscles and long white hair that reached to his waist. He too, had pointed ears, but looked more elf-like. He stared stoically at the wizard with blood red eyes, his face expressionless. He wore what looked like some sort of battle armour, that clung tightly to his frame. It was mostly brown in colour, with gold plated shoulder pads and a piece that hung around his middle like a belt. Gohan thought it was odd, as this one did not have the calligraphed 'M' upon his forehead like the rest.

"Who are they?" asked Tien, "the one with the horns is making me feel uneasy."

"And you would be right to fear them," said the Kai, "The tallest of them is Dabura, the Demon King."

"D-demon King?" squeaked Krillin, "That doesn't sound good!"

"Yes," The Supreme deity continued, "He is the King of the demon realm, a shadow world that resides within the deepest parts of HFIL. It is worse than I had feared. It looks like I'll be needing all your help to bring them down."

"Well you can count on us!" Goku winked, before glancing to the wasteland below, "But who's the other guy? He doesn't look that strong to me."

"You would be wrong Goku," said Shin, "That is Checha, a great conqueror of the Southern Galaxy. I thought he had been destroyed centuries ago. But it looks as though I was wrong."

"Can you get anything right for once Kai?" Vegeta spat, though the deity ignored him.

"But what _is_ he?" asked Goku, eyeing Checha, "he looks so strange… those eyes… ugh."

"He comes from a very powerful warrior race that has since become extinct," explained Shin, "a Ghonaterra."

"Oi!" Gohan said hotly, "I'll have you know that's cleared up nicely, thank you very much."

The Z-Fighter's stared at him, as the Kai coughed awkwardly.

"Those two are not to be taken lightly," he continued, "I just hope that our combined strength is enough."

Vegeta snorted, "Don't concern yourself with such matter's Kai, I say we go ahead and destroy them now, I'd like to get back to the tournament."

"Calm it Vegeta," warned Piccolo, "What I'd like to know is how someone like Babidi has managed to control someone as powerful as those two."

"Majin magic is very complex," said Shin, "It's foundation is based on trickery and deception, whereby a wizard is able to harness the evil and corruption that resides in a persons heart, bringing it forth in order to control them. All the wizard needs is to infiltrate a persons heart and find but a trace of impurity in order to do so. The magic is so powerful that it is able to create rifts between world's, which is how I'm sure Babidi may have gotten to Dabura's world."

"Get off me!" a desperate cry sounded from below, and to Gohan's horror, Gokuto had now been grasped by the back of his overalls by the warrior Checha, scarlet eyes boring into his emerald ones.

"My daddy will come, you'll see!" the two year old roared, lashing out and kicking his legs towards Checha, though the warrior did not flinch. "He's gonna beat you up and then you'll be sowwy! Let go of me! Daddy! DADDY-!"

" _SLEEP_ ," Babidi called, raising a palm in Gokuto's direction.

Immediately, the boy fell limp in Checha's grasp, his eyes closed and his chest rising and falling in a gentle motion.

"Checha, if you would, take the brat away before I find use for him," stated Babidi, conjuring up a bubble-like shield around the boy. Checha nodded wordlessly, spinning on his heal and disappearing back through the entrance with Gokuto.

"Good grief," sighed Babidi, a wrinkled hand rubbing his temple, "That kid was starting to give me a headache."

Gohan started forwards immediately, but a firm hand on his shoulder pulled him back. Again, it was his father, who stared him down with a hard obsidian gaze. The teenager sighed in defeat, looking longingly at the entrance as Babidi spoke again.

"Ah, good, so this has the energy stored inside," he mused, inspecting the canister that was filled with Gohan's energy.

"Yes master, of course," bowed Spopovich.

"Excellent," said Babidi with a sadistic grin, "It's such a shame that your business with me is over."

Spopovich shared a glance with Yamu, "Master?"

"Yes, it really is unfortunate," the wizard sighed, snapping his fingers so that the canister hovered off the ground and floated towards him, "Testing out how the humans reacted to my magic certainly was entertaining. I was even starting to get a little fond of you both, but no matter."

"You're letting us go?!" Yamu spat viciously, "What about our reward?!"

"Oh dear me!" said Babidi almost gleefully, "You seemed to have misunderstood."

"We have?"

"Oh yes," the wizard chuckled darkly, "I'm not letting you go anywhere."

An eerie silence encompassed the Northern planes, when suddenly a loud roar escaped Spopovich's throat. Gohan's eyes widened, as Spopovich's eyes bulged out of his skull. He held his head in agony, as his muscles began to swell, crushing his internal organs and forcing blood out of his mouth.

There was a similar cry from beside him, as the teenager found Yamu to be in the same state, gasping for air as his body crumpled inwards, twisting oddly before there was a loud popping sound accompanied by a sicking squish.

Yamu and Spopovich's bodies exploded from the inside out, sending the remains of their organs flying across the wasteland. Bits of unrecognisable tissue smoked and bubbled from where they lay on the ground, and Gohan had to gulp down the bile that had risen in his throat, his stomach churning uncomfortably as he struggled to keep the remnants of his breakfast at bay.

"H-he killed his own men," Yamcha gasped in horror as the smoke cleared away.

"That is the root of Babidi's evil," growled Kibito, "Once he has finished with his minions he disposes of them as if they were nothing. If his plan is realised, he will dispose of Earth in the same manner, not to mention countless other planets that lie in his wake."

"Then can we stop wasting time sitting here and stop them?" said Gohan in annoyance, causing Piccolo to give him a stern look.

"Gohan, it wouldn't be wise to rush into anything," he said, "There's no telling who else Babidi has under his control."

"And there's no telling what they're doing to Gokuto down there either!" he replied hotly.

"I assure you young halfling, Babidi will not harm Gokuto once he realises his potential," said the Kai.

"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?!" the teenager roared.

"Gohan, keep your voice down," pleaded Yamcha, "or else they're going to find us!"

"Let 'em find me," Gohan growled, "I'm not scared, I'll take on that little flea and his greasy git of a body guard just you watch!"

"Strong words coming from someone about to die."

The Z-Fighter's, Kai and Kibito froze, as the young saiyan turned, coming face to face with the one and only Dabura. The Demon King smirked, baring his fangs at the startled group, his beetle black eyes staring at them hungrily.

"Shit."

"DAMN IT BRAT!" Vegeta roared, before dodging out of the way of a crimson Ki blast that was sent hurtling towards them by Dabura.

The cliff face they were standing on began crumbling to the ground from the force of the impact, dirt and dust raining down upon them. Eighteen coughed, her blue eyes sharpening as she dusted herself off, her shirt torn from the blast.

Gohan had never seen her look so feral, her blonde hair whipping through the air as she hurtled towards the King of Demons, "You ruined my outfit you bastard!"

Then, raising her knee she delivered a striking blow to the side of his head. A sonic boom ricocheted off the distant mountain range as her foot connected, though Dabura was undeterred, grabbing her by the ankle and spinning her around in the air. Eighteen hurtled through the air as he let her go, crashing into Yamcha who plummeted to the earth below.

"Eighteen!" Krillin yelled, careening towards the demon and aiming a furious punch to his gut. Yet, Dabura blocked the oncoming hit with ease, knocking Krillin backwards with a sickening head butt.

But then, to Gohan's surprise and utter disgust, did Dabura fly towards the man and promptly spit in his face.

"Eww!" The teenager grimaced, as his friend struggled to wipe the saliva from his brow.

"NO!" The Supreme Kai shouted suddenly, as Krillin's skin began to harden from where the spit had hit, crying out in pain as his skin turned a greyish white.

"Krillin no!" Eighteen cried out in desperation.

He was turned to stone.

"What the _fuck_?!" Gohan exclaimed, as Krillin's body began to fall rapidly to the ground.

"Quick catch him!" Kibito roared, "Don't let him break!"

His father swooped quickly downwards, catching the now solid stone Krillin just before he reached the dirt.

"What did you do to Krillin?!" Goku snarled angrily, glowering at the laughing Demon King.

"It's one of Dabura's powers!" The Supreme Kai called from the skies, "His saliva turns people into stone!"

"Yuck, wouldn't want to snog him," said Gohan.

"This is no time for jokes brat - MOVE!" Vegeta yelled, pushing the teenager out of the way of the line of Dabura's saliva that came hurtling towards him.

"Tien no!" Goku gasped in horror, as the three-eyed man flew at the demon with an oncoming fist, only to be turned to stone too.

Dabura moved fast, and before Gohan knew it he had gotten Kibito, Yamcha and Eighteen too leaving only him, Vegeta, Goku, Piccolo and Supreme Kai standing. The four Z-Fighter's glared at the Demon King, slipping into fighting stance alongside their frozen comrades.

But to the teenager's surprise, did Dabura smirk before taking off and flying back towards the spaceship's entrance.

"I'll give you one chance to run!" He called manically, "But be warned, follow me and you may end up like your friends!"

"Damn it!" Goku cried, watching as Dabura disappeared beyond the entrance way, "What are we going to do?!"

"I don't know Goku," said Piccolo, inspecting Krillin's statue, "this doesn't look like any power I've ever seen before."

"Supreme Kai, is there a way to get my friends back to normal?" his father asked the Kai desperately.

"Yes, there is a way," he replied, though solemnly, "Though I'm afraid the only way to get your friends back is to kill Dabura. Once he his dead, only then will your friends be restored."

Gohan stared at the statues of his friends, Krillin and Eighteen especially, who had a little girl waiting for them back at the tournament grounds.

"Well I say we go in there and beat the bastard," he said, turning his gaze away from the stone figures, "and get Gokuto back while were at it."

"For once I like the Gohan's idea," smirked Vegeta, earning himself a grin from the teenager.

"We have to be careful," Piccolo cut across, "Dabura could have turned us into stone also, but chose not to. He has an ulterior motive."

"I have to agree with Piccolo," said the Kai, tearing his eyes away from Kibito, "and I believe that motive is to get more energy from us to feed Majin Buu."

"Well it looks like we'll just have to be on our guard then doesn't it?" said Goku with a cheeky smile, "Don't worry, we'll have Gokuto and everyone back with us in no time."

"You can't be serious!" Supreme Kai exclaimed as they floated into the air, "Who knows what horrors lie in Babidi's ship!"

But the four Z-Warrior's ignored him, blasting off from the ground and heading towards the entrance, leaving the Kai scurrying along in their wake.

It was a long way down to Babidi's ship, and Gohan was left wondering just how long they had spent drifting down the darkened abyss when he caught a flash of light at the end of the tunnel. The teenager quickly prepared himself to fight as they landed upon hard wooden floors.

He frowned, it didn't look much like a spaceship, with a mixture of stone and metal walls and a rounded interior. It sort of reminded the young saiyan of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

"That's odd," his father spoke first, relaxing his own stance as his eyes darted around the ship, "I would have thought they would have been waiting for us."

"Are we even at the bottom?" asked Piccolo.

There was not a soul around except them, and the teenager was becoming frustrated, he couldn't sense Gokuto anywhere.

Lifting his head in anger, he caused the group to jump as he bellowed, "Oi Babidi! Why don't you come out of hiding you coward and tell me where the hell you've taken my son?!"

But there was no answer, instead the roof where they had floated in from closed tightly shut with a loud clang, leaving the group trapped.

"Nice going brat," said Vegeta.

"Shut up," the halfling growled, kicking the side of one of the metallic walls, causing it to groan inwards and dent.

Supreme Kai sighed, "The only way out now is to destroy Babidi, that is our only hope."

"Well, that is what we came here to do isn't it?" Goku chuckled nervously.

"I say we blast the whole ship to oblivion, see how he survives that," Vegeta growled.

"Don't be preposterous!" The Kai spoke harshly, "The sudden shock of such an attack would be enough to wake up Majin Buu! Even at a fraction of his power would he be able to annihilate this entire planet and all of it's inhabitants in an instant! He _cannot_ be stopped! We have got to be careful!"

"I don't care what you do, I just want to get Gokuto back," Gohan said glumly, looking down at his feet.

 _"Ooh how sentimental…"_

The teenager jumped, as the cold lecherous tone of Babidi echoed through his mind. It seemed as though the other's had heard it too as they gritted their teeth in anger, their eyes darting wildly around them.

 _"I must say young saiyan your determination is quite impressive,"_ the wizard chimed, _"Though you need not concern yourself with the whereabouts of your son, I assure you he is being well_ ** _looked after_** _by my warriors. Oh yes, I can see he has quite the temper, much like you. Oh ho! Don't act so shocked my dear boy, I can see into your mind after all… yes… how delightful!_

 _Don't worry half-breed you will soon meet your mongrel of a son in the afterlife, now if I were you I would focus more on trying not to DIE! Ta ta!"_

"BASTARD!" Gohan roared, his father grasping onto his shoulders in an attempt to calm him, "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM! I'LL FIND YOU BABIDI, I'LL-"

"Gohan calm down!" Piccolo bellowed, as hot tears sprang into the teenager's eyes, "He's bluffing, Gokuto may be too useful to him right now."

"B-but, I need to get to him Piccolo," Gohan breathed, swallowing the lump in his throat, "What if they hurt him?"

The Namekian said nothing, as his father gave him a comforting squeeze on the shoulder.

"We've got company," Vegeta said suddenly, his head perking up as a slat in the wall slid up to reveal a doorway, an ugly looking alien stepping out into the room.

Gohan blinked, the alien looked like a cheap rendition of Frieza's third form, with a long bulbous head and a white armoured body. He had bright green eyes that bore no pupils and a sickening smile upon his purple lips. The signature calligraphed 'M' upon his forehead.

"Fellow warriors," the alien smirked, "welcome to stage one."

"Stage one?" Goku blinked, eyeing him.

"Master Babidi is on the bottom level of this ship," he explained, "We are on the top level, also known as stage one and there's no way of getting down to him unless you beat the warrior that appears at each stage…"

"You're joking right? Just how many bloody levels are there?!" Gohan cried, "I haven't got time for this!"

"Whether you've got time for it or not isn't my problem," the alien scorned, "Though I wouldn't concern yourselves with the other levels, you won't be getting past the first stage."

"Whatever, Frieza face."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing," the halfling whistled, earning himself a glare from Piccolo.

"Your first challenge is me," the Majin minion continued, "and that means none of you will be getting out of here alive! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The teenager couldn't help but roll his eyes, as the warrior descended into manic evil laughter.

"There's no use trying to fight it! Oh ho! I can see the fear in your eyes! Do you honestly think that two saiyan's, a half-blooded brat and a Namekian are going to stop me?! Don't tell me that your quivering Kai is going to join in the fray! Haha!"

The Z-Fighter's blinked, as the alien continued.

"That's right! The energy I use to pound you into minced meat will be absorbed and carried directly to fuel Majin Buu's power! Yes, the more I hurt you, the more I will be able to steal your energy! Your efforts will be futile!" he laughed heartily, " _I_ am Pui Pui! Strongest of my people! And let me tell you this puny warriors, I'm sure that you'd love to know that I train in much harsher conditions than your pathetic planet! _My_ planet has TEN TIMES the amount of gravity that you have here on Earth!"

As Pui Pui finally finished, Gohan couldn't help but snort, then choke as he could not contain the laughter bubbling up in his chest. Then, Vegeta joined in, then Piccolo and finally, his father, all four of them continuing to hysterics.

Pui Pui was floored, "W-what?! What are you laughing at?! What's so funny?! S-stop it!"

Looking towards his father as the laughter continued, he wasn't surprised to see him grin.

"So, which one of us wants to fight him first?"

 **xxxx**

After a rather frustrating battle of rock, paper, scissors, Vegeta came out as the victor and managed to defeat Pui Pui with incredible ease. Firing a blast so hard into his chest that the entire top half of his body disintegrated in an instant.

Gohan was glad to swiftly move down another level, where his father fought another Majin minion named Yakon, a disgusting green creature that fed off light energy. With his father's quick thinking, did he transform into a super saiyan, which proved too much for the beast to contain and he subsequently exploded, getting green goop on Gohan's already bloodied shirt.

After having a stern word with his father about control, the four fighter's readied themselves for Stage Three.

"Yes! Scissors beats paper bitches!" Gohan exclaimed, earning himself a glare from the others.

He wondered who he would be fighting, and hoped they were as easy as the others' to beat, they could really do with getting a move on and finding out where they were keeping Gokuto. The young saiyan's tail began to twitch, as the door began to open once more. He was actually a little pumped and couldn't wait to get some revenge on Babidi, that was, until he saw who he was fighting.

"Oh right yeah," Gohan said scathingly, glancing towards his father, "You get a crocodile, Vegeta gets less ugly Frieza and I get the King of Demons… yeah 'cause that's fair, who's Piccolo's challenge? A frigging fairy princess?"

Dabura growled as he approached, "I must say, I'm impressed. Beating Yakon and Pui Pui so easily and progressing to stage three is more than any mortal has managed to accomplish… yes, it was quite _unexpected_. So now you must face me, which means that you will progress no further."

"Hn, your boss must be getting nervous if he sent out his favourite minion so early on in the fight," Vegeta smirked, "Tell us, why doesn't he come out himself? Is he not as powerful as the Kai predicted? Such a pity he won't be able to achieve his goal, I would have liked a crack at this Majin Buu character myself."

"Vegeta!" Supreme Kai gasped, "Think about what you're saying!"

"Let's dispense of the idol chit chat shall we?" Dabura glowered, dipping low into his fighting stance, "You will fight me here and now! All of you!"

"Wait wait wait," Goku interrupted, "That's not fair, it's Gohan's turn to fight! You can't be greedy and go at us all at once. You'll have to wait your turn, _if_ you beat my son that is."

"Way to throw me into the lions den Dad," the teenager glared.

His father gave him a cheeky smile, before the young saiyan sighed, slipping into his stance and preparing himself for battle. He would have to watch out for that flying spit.

 _"Wait!"_ came an alarmed voice, it was Babidi, _"Dabura I'm going to have to move the fight elsewhere, I need the ship intact in order to revive Buu, I can't risk having yours and the brat's power blowing it up! Majin Buu's power is only halfway, I won't let him be unleashed when he's not at his full potential!"_

"Buu's power is already at _half_?!" The Supreme Kai cried, looking towards Gohan with an aghast expression, "How could I have not foreseen this?!"

 _"Paparapapa!"_

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed and the room disappeared. The young saiyan blinked, they were gliding along in a swirl of colour and light, causing him to feel rather dizzy. It all but latest a few seconds before it stopped, and they were standing under a blood red sky, brown cliffs surrounding them on what looked like a long dead planet. However, Gohan noticed a rushing river to the side of them, though it was devoid of any life.

The teenager frowned, "Where are we?"

"A planet not so different from your own _boy_ ," Dabura informed him, a smirk playing on his lips, "Once this planet was full of life, like yours. Until Master Babidi had it's inhabitants destroyed. You may want to be careful how this battle pans out, else your planet may end up in the same way. Why don't you join us instead? I can see how Master Babidi can use a power like yours to his advantage."

Gohan gritted his teeth, immediately bursting into his super saiyan form. His hair stood on end as his eyes turned a vibrant shade of green, a golden aura igniting around his frame.

The King of Demon's chuckled darkly, "Ah, I see you have made your choice. Unfortunately for you, it was the wrong one."

With a loud roar that shook the planet, Dabura's crimson aura burst to life as he powered up. The cliff face's surrounding them cracked, rocks tumbling to the floor from the sheer force of the demon's power.

Gohan blinked. Shit, he was strong.

Wasting no time, Dabura shot towards him, letting out a cry of rage as he aimed a punch towards his head. The young saiyan crossed his arms in front of his face, blocking the attack as a loud boom echoed over the vast planes, the impact rocking the riverbed.

The teenager ducked, as the Demon King's fist came swinging over his head. Phasing out as quickly as he could, Gohan ended up high above Dabura, glaring at him from the cloudless sky.

"Fool," Dabura smirked, before moving faster than the halfling's eye could see, delivering a strong punch to his gut.

Gohan gasped in shock, clutching his stomach in pain as the air was forcibly knocked out of him. Tumbling to the ground, he managed to catch himself with his hands before he face planted the dirt.

"Get up Gohan!" he heard Piccolo cry, before the teenager felt a sharp pain in his spine as Dabura's elbow was brought down hard upon his back.

He collapsed to the ground, hitting his head on a nearby rock, causing his eyebrow to split open.

The teenager huffed angrily, attempting to wipe the blood away from his eye when Dabura was upon him again. Gohan wasn't sure if it was a knee, foot or fist that had hit him, all he knew was that he had gone flying off into the distance, narrowly avoiding crashing into a cliff face as he went.

Pushing out his Ki, the young saiyan managed to stop himself mid air, turning around to growl at Dabura. The Demon King all but lowered himself in front of him, gloating as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Let's step it up a notch, shall we?" he grinned, before seemingly materialising something shiny out of mid air.

A fucking sword.

Of course he had a sword. It was just his luck, he didn't even want to imagine the damage it would to to -

"Eek!" Gohan yelped, as the sword narrowly missed his head, slicing a few hairs off his fringe in the process.

"Oi! Watch the do!" The teenager glowered, watching the golden wisps of hair float towards the roaring river below.

"You are no match for me _half-breed_ ," Dabura growled, before swiping the blade through the air which such precision that the young saiyan barely had time to dodge it.

"Keep dodging it Gohan!" yelled Supreme Kai from the ground, "If he lands a critical hit, then it will certainly revive Majin Buu!"

"Oh well I can see where _your_ priorities lie!" Gohan roared back, before narrowly missing the blade again.

Thinking quickly, the young saiyan powered up, blasting higher into the sky and turning on Dabura.

"You cannot run from me forever!" The Demon King scorned.

"No but I can blast you back to the far corners of HFIL!" He growled, snapping his hands over his head and gathering his Ki, "MASENKO-HAAAAAAA!"

But to Gohan's horror, did Dabura careen towards the blast, slicing through the yellow beam with the swords jagged edge and aiming straight for the young saiyan.

 **CLANG**

Gohan caught the blade in between his palms before it hit, struggling against the brute strength of the Demon King. Dabura grinned menacingly, but it was evident from the beads of sweat on his brow that he was finding it difficult to push past the young saiyan's grip.

With a mighty roar, Gohan pushed his power further, snapping the blade it two.

"Yeah alright Gohan!" his father cried, though there was no time to celebrate.

As Gohan tossed the broken end aside, Dabura took the opportunity to spit a ball of saliva in his direction.

"No!" Supreme Kai yelled in horror.

It hit the hem of his shirt, that the teenager quickly disposed off, ripping it from his chest as it had already begun to turn to stone. His favourite shirt landed upon the hard ground with a loud crash, the stone shattering to pieces.

"Oh," the young saiyan spouted, gritting his teeth in anger, "Looks like you just sealed your fate."

A mighty blow sounded over the vast desolate planes, as Gohan and Dabura's fists connected. Though the young saiyan was unable to make any sorts of real damage to the demon, as each of his punches was met with an oncoming fist, each kick with a boot and so on.

"Gohan hit him!" his father yelled.

The teenager rolled his eyes towards the ground below.

"I'm _trying_!" he spat, before a sickening thud ricocheted over the cliffs, and Gohan was once again sent careening to the ground.

All his father and his friends could do was look on as Dabura's knee embedded itself into his spine.

The teen coughed up blood, letting out a howl of pain as the demon's onslaught continued. And, grabbing a hold of his scarred and tattoo laden arm, did Dabura twist viciously, popping it out of it's socket. He yelped, nausea pooling in the pit of his stomach and agony erupting in his shoulder as the Demon King stood, staring down at the pitiful heap of a boy.

The young saiyan growled, holding onto his injured arm and clambering to his feet.

"What's this?" Dabura smirked, "Still getting up for more?! My, you saiyan's are resilient."

"Fuck off!" Gohan spat, wincing in pain.

Dabura chuckled, "Oh and are you going to make me? Look at you! HA! You've only got one arm!"

"I only need one arm to punch you in the dick!" The teenager retorted angrily, though this only made the demon laugh harder.

"I didn't know that you were in such a hurry to die," Dabura glowered, "But don't worry little half-blood, that can be arranged!"

Gohan closed his eyes as a sphere of crimson energy glowed in the demon's palms. Swallowing thickly, the halfling prepared himself. This one was going to hurt.

But to his surprise, the blast didn't hit. Instead, the teen was knocked flying onto his backside as a yellow and purple corkscrew of energy hurtled in front of him, careening Dabura off into the distance with a startled cry.

The teenager blinked rapidly, as Piccolo appeared before him.

"What do you think you were doing?!" The Namekian growled angrily, baring his teeth at the halfling.

Gohan frowned, "Er, I was _fighting_!"

"No, you were loosing!"

"Oh cheers for that one Piccolo," he retorted, "Always the vote of confidence."

"It's not funny Gohan -!"

"I never said it was!"

"-your reckless attitude could have gotten you killed!" Piccolo finished, positively fuming with him.

"The Namek is right," came Vegeta's voice from behind him.

The teenager rolled his eyes, "Oh here we go, it's 'gang up on Gohan' time again, will someone just hurry up and pass me a senzu bean before old horny gets back?"

"No!" Piccolo and Vegeta chorused.

"No?"

"There's no way I'm letting you go back out there again Gohan," said Piccolo.

"Why not?"

Vegeta scowled, "Because brat, you made a total mockery of yourself, not to mention your saiyan bloodline! Have you learned nothing from the years of training the three of us have strived to give you?!"

Gohan looked towards them, all three of them, and could only depict one emotion emanating from the men.

Disappointment.

The teenager bowed his head, unable to look them in the eye, especially his father. The Supreme Kai stood quietly, his eyes glancing between them, though his gaze would occasionally drift to where Dabura had been blasted off into the distance.

"Why didn't you ascend?" his father asked him cutting through the silence.

Vegeta snorted, as Piccolo cast his eyes downwards, "Isn't it obvious Kakarot? The boy has been too busy chasing skirts for the past seven years to do any real training! What you saw back at the tournament was a mere rouse! He can't even hold the state for long! Though I didn't realise it had gotten this bad…There is no excuse for you fighting the way you did!"

"I thought you were holding back…" his father said weakly, his eyes searching him.

"Oh for Kami's sake will you all stop looking at me like some lost cause?" Gohan growled, still clutching his injured arm. "Seriously though, stop just looking at me and give me a senzu because I'm starting to feel a little dizzy…"

"Stop treating it all like its some sort of joke kid," said Piccolo, "Because it stopped being funny a long time ago."

"Oh yeah, because I'm positively LOLing about the fact that my son is being held captive by a mentally deranged wizard and his best mate the King of Demons!" he yelled back.

Vegeta snarled at his tone, "I don't know how you expect to get Gokuto back, judging by your display, the runt's lucky he's got us to go and retrieve him from these pests. You certainly aren't any help."

Gohan stared, well that stung.

"Vegeta, that's not fair," his father reasoned, finally pushing a senzu bean into the teenager's hand, "I'm sure Gohan tried his best!"

"And what about the others?!" Vegeta cried, "Dabura should be _dead_ , and now all they'll be good for is decorating the garden as bird baths!"

"Oh because I saw you rushing headlong into there trying to kill him yourself!" The halfling roared, shoving the bean roughly into his mouth.

"He's right Gohan, you should know better," said Piccolo.

 _"Paparapapa!"_

The planet spun once more in an array of colour. The four Z-Fighter's, along with Supreme Kai stared in bewilderment as the spinning came to a halt, and they were once again back in the chamber of stage three.

"D-did we win?" asked Goku, as Gohan realised that indeed Dabura was not with them.

 _"Do not fret my little competitors, Dabura is alive and well,"_ Babidi's voice rang around them, _"He seems to have come across some what of a revelation, something that I'm sure will help me in my plans to release Majin Buu! Oh yes, it is rather exciting as I'm sure you can imagine, so for now we will be taking a short interlude. So sit tight Earthlings, and try to hold onto your heads!"_

As the wizard's voice faded, Gohan was left as confused as the others.

Revelation? What kind of a revelation? He gulped, panic setting in, he hoped he didn't mean Gokuto.

His tail swished behind him as the room grew silent, save for his father and Supreme Kai who were wondering aloud of the wizard's supposed plans. The teenager scratched his head, as a niggling feeling tingled in the base of his skull. He frowned, as it continued to grow, until a sharp pain suddenly rippled through his temple.

"GAH!" Gohan gasped, his knees buckling from underneath him as he crashed to the floor.

"Gohan?!" His father, Vegeta and Piccolo sounded, when suddenly Vegeta's and Piccolo's screams intermingled with his own. His father became forlorn, running between the three who grasped their heads in agony.

Black spots appeared before Gohan's eyes, as what felt like a white hot blade dragged across his skull, pain exploding in his head, causing him to dig his fingernails into his scalp.

 _Gohan…._

 _Gohan…_

The voice was unmistakable, Babidi had entered his mind.

"Get out of my head!" the teenager gasped, burying his face in between his arms as the pain refused to let up.

 _I can see anger in your heart Gohan…rage…fury. A once shy, quiet boy that grew up too quickly…You have seen too much bloodshed to retain your innocence…Lust…yes, I see it clearly. It is your weakness Son Gohan. You were too late to save the girl from the fire, just like you were too late to save your father from Cell. Oh yes, I know all about that, and all about how your father_ ** _abandoned_** _you and your mother shortly afterwards…yes… it is a shame that you had to take on your father's responsibilities. It was too much for the shoulders of a young boy._

 _I see how they look at you Gohan, I know what they think of you. Disappointment in a young boy that could have risen to better things. Jealous of the power you could wield. But I can help you achieve it Gohan, oh yes, I can help you achieve the power you were destined for. Join me Gohan! Yes that's it! I can feel you slipping!_

 _I can feel you slipping…_

 _I can feel you slipping._


	30. Piccolo Diamao

_Wow! 150 followers! You guys are amazing. Thank you so much for all your kind words and taking time out of your lives to read my story! I thought I would get the next couple of chapters out to you all as I have a very very busy few weeks coming up with placement and exams and deadlines in january. Unfortunatley it doesnt look like my original goal to complete the story by xmas/new year is going to be met. But hopefully it wont be far off the mark! I really hope you like the next couple of installments of Gohan's story. Than you again for reading! xx_

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine**

 **Piccolo Diamao**

 **xxxx**

"Gohan snap out of it!" his father cried, shaking him roughly by the shoulders.

Gohan was struggling, drowning amongst horrific memory after horrific memory that the evil wizard brought forth into the forefront of his mind. Images of the countless battles he had faced, then Cell, Lime injured and helpless, Gokuto's screaming as a baby all swarmed around in his head like invading locusts along with the seductive taunts of Babidi.

"Piccolo! Vegeta! Gohan!" He faintly heard the Supreme Kai cry through the fray, "You must resist! Babidi has clutched on to the darkest, evilest parts of your hearts, he's trying to control you for his own foul purpose!"

"What do you mean?!" His father roared, causing the Kai to step back a little, "Piccolo and Vegeta may have done evil things in the past, but they've changed! And as for Gohan, his heart is pure!"

"I'm afraid Babidi seems to know differently," Shin replied sadly, as the teenager let out another anguished cry, attempting to push the wizard out of his mind.

"Come on Gohan, you're stronger than this!" Goku yelled, ignoring the Kai and gripping onto Gohan more tightly. The young saiyan snarled, causing the older saiyan to panic even more.

"Come on son, fight it! Fight it!" he heard his father chant.

Piccolo and Vegeta were still crippled by the Majin Power, roaring in agony, sinking the floor in the same manner as Gohan as they tried desperately to fight the wizard off.

"Damn it!" The Supreme Kai spat, "Dabura must have heard the argument between you all and relayed it to Babidi! That's why he stopped the fight! With tension's flying like that, it made you all an easy target!"

The teenager gritted his teeth, Babidi grasping a hold of his mind as he fought relentlessly, struggling to find a happy memory within the darkness.

 _Dada!_

His eyes widened, the memory of Gokuto saying his first words floated into his mind. He latched onto it desperately, as more images popped into his head.

 _Gokuto saying his first word, those emerald eyes glinting at him in delight. Lime, when she kissed him for the first time. He, his father and Piccolo before the androids, having a water fight instead of training. His father cutting off his long hair and turning it into a wicked super saiyan do. Dende, hugging him on The Lookout. Laughing with Krillin and Yamcha on the rooftop of Kame House. His mother, with pride in her eyes when he got his internship. Flying high above the clouds with Goten and Trunks, their laughter ringing in his ears. Then Videl, Videl as she gave him that hard, blazing look before kissing him fiercely and -_

 ** _"_** _YAAAAAHHHHHH!_ ** _"_** Babidi screamed, as Gohan finally forced the wizard out. The happiness and love the teenager had in his heart overpowered the darkness, and Babidi was defenceless against it.

The halfling panted, his head still pounding as he held himself upright on all fours, the screams of the other's dissipating in an instant.

"Woah, that was intense," the halfling breathed, as his father collapsed to his knees beside him.

"Gohan," he croaked, his eyes searching him, "are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," he puffed heavily, allowing the man to help him to his feet, "Just feel like I've got a hangover."

"Well done everyone," said Shin, as Vegeta moved over the join them, rubbing his temple. Though Gohan noticed he had a rather haunted look in his eyes. He shuddered, he didn't want to imagine the memories that Babidi had forced him to relive.

"Thank goodness you were all able to fight off the wizard's magic," the Kai grinned, chuckling nervously, "Just imagine if one of you were on his side! With your combined strength alone, I'm certain it would be enough to wake Majin Buu. It's hard to believe!"

"Better start believing Kai."

"Piccolo?" Gohan frowned, spinning around on his heel as the other's eyes widened in horror.

"That's King Piccolo to you _brat_ ," the Namekian growled, a sadistic grin upon his lips.

The teenager snorted, "Oh I see what's going on here, nice try but stop joking around, we've got to go and find Gokuto…"

Piccolo's dark eyes narrowed at the halfling, a crackle of purple energy rippling over his chest and snapping at the air. But Gohan seemed not to have noticed.

"Gohan…" his father started in warning.

"Oh come off it, look at his face!" the teen laughed, pointing up at him as his mentor stood stoic, "He's going to crack up any minute now! Alright you got us, but let's face it, having a good sense of humour really isn't one of your forte's Mister Piccolo."

"WATCH OUT!" Vegeta bellowed.

 **BANG**

Gohan yelped, as the back of Piccolo's hand collided with his cheek and he was sent hurtling into the chamber wall. His back hit the wall of the chamber, sending large cracks running over the stone. That _hurt_.

"Ow Piccolo!" the teenager yelled, clutching the side of his bruised face, blood escaping from the small cut in his lip, "What the bloody hell did you do that for?!"

But his mentor merely smirked, "I should have killed you all those years ago when I had the chance."

"W-what?" he blinked, hardly believing his ears.

"Gohan, I'm afraid the Piccolo you know and love is no longer with us," The Supreme Kai explained, helping the halfling to his feet, "I'm afraid Babidi has found the darkness desires within his heart and has in turn used it to control him."

Gohan's eyes widened, staring at his beloved mentor, who was grinning at them all madly. He had a cold, hard look in his eyes that the teenager remembered from his distant childhood. And indeed, did he find, with horror, that the calligraphed 'M' sat upon his forehead.

"Piccolo…no.." the teenager whispered.

"The idiot Kai is right," Majin Piccolo informed them, throwing his head back in manic laugher, "The purpose of my birth has been long lost over the years, shrouded by sentimental rubbish that would cause my father to turn in his grave. But Babidi has set me straight, back on the path of my destiny…"

"Destiny can change!" his father suddenly roared, "Piccolo, don't listen to Babidi! I know you're still in there! Babidi is only controlling you for his own desires! You're not evil!"

The Namekian smirked wickedly, causing Gohan's tail hair to stand on end, "Ah, just what I'd expect of you Goku. You believe that goodness lies in everyone, and I was foolish to agree for so long."

"Idiot!" Vegeta spat, "You're just going to let him control you like this?! Tch, I thought you were stronger than that!

"Stronger?" Piccolo quirked, "Oh but I am stronger, Babidi has made me realise my full potential."

"Oh I see," the prince scoffed, "the super Namekian needs a little spell to make himself stronger, how pathetic."

He growled, his gaze hardening at Vegeta, "What's pathetic is how I have let myself become so consumed by this world. When Goku was killed by Raditz, I could have taken over the world instead of babysitting his brat! I could have done it, it was my original plan, train Gohan so that he could kill his own father by the time he got back to Earth. With him, my plans would have been foolproof, no one could have matched our power! We would have taken over the Earth that I was destined to rule!"

"I-is that true?" asked Gohan, aghast at the sudden revelation.

"Your efforts would have been in vain," snorted Vegeta, "I would have managed to kill the both of you if Kakarot hadn't had turned up."

"Of course," Piccolo spat, his chest rising and falling more quickly, his anger beginning to swell, "You saiyan's have been a pain in my side since the beginning. Always one step ahead, no matter how hard I train, no matter how strong I get! You always seem to have one last trick up your sleeve, one last transformation."

"And how do you think it made me feel?" he continued, pointing directly at Gohan with a shaky finger, "When _he_ surpassed us all when he was just a child! He's always been gifted, yes. But has no idea of the kind of potential he has! It's not fair when the rest of us sit here struggling and he disregards his power like that! Come on Vegeta, I know you feel the same way…"

"Perhaps," the prince glowered, "Though I fail to see what giving into a wizard's spell would do to help the brat's lazy ass attitude."

"Oi!"

"I see," Piccolo said with loathing, "You too have become just as soft as Goku. But as soft as you are you're still more powerful than I…"

"But Piccolo, you've always been able to keep up -" started Goku, but was abruptly silenced by the Namekian's anguished cry.

"Keep up?!" Piccolo bellowed, "There is only one way to keep up with you saiyan's! I realised it months ago within my meditations, but I have fought it for so long! And now, Babidi has shown me a new path, the right path!"

"What are you saying?!" Goku bellowed, as a sharp gust of wind picked up around them and Majin Piccolo's white aura bust to life, sharp bolts of purple energy crackling around him.

"This started with you Goku! And it's going to _end_ with you!" the Namekian roared over the flames of his aura, "Piccolo Diamao is back, more powerful than ever before! And he will have his revenge!"

 _"Oh my! Sparks flying already!"_ Babidi's voice squealed excitedly around them, _"Ooh this is going to be good! Though you need a more interesting place to fight! Oh I know of the perfect place!"_

Whereas a myriad of technicolour had greeted them before, a blinding flash of white light encapsulated the group instead. He heard the distance shouts of his father and Vegeta before they suddenly came to a halt, and the teenager's eyes widened as he realised where the wizard had sent them.

The familiar roar of the World Martial Arts stadium greeted his ears, as gust of wind blew between the four. Piccolo was standing before them with a sadistic grin as his father and Vegeta stared him down. Gohan was nervous, sharing a glance with the Kai as he looked around him. Why had Babidi brought them back here?

The crowd gasped in awe at the group that had just materialised in the centre of the ring. Gohan could just make out Alonso's voice from amongst the startled cries, asking them if they would please remove themselves from the ring.

"GOHAN!" came a shout from above.

It was Goten and Trunks, encircling the platform before coming to float down next to the young saiyan.

"Gohan what's going on?" his brother asked him, cocking his head to the side, "Did you get 'Kuto back from the baddies?"

"Yeah and where's everyone else? Didn't they go with you or something?" Trunks pondered, before his eyes widened in horror, "Oh no don't tell me they've gone to McDonald's without us!"

Goten let out a whine of frustration, "That's not fair! They promised we'd go _after_ the tournament! Marron wanted a chocolate milkshake!"

"Get out of here you two!" Gohan cut across the duo, who gave him an odd look, "It's too dangerous."

"Dangerous?" quirked Goten, "Why is it danger-"

The teenager let out a startled cry, as a crackling hot ball of energy hurtled towards his brother. Goten's obsidian eyes widened in shock, as he managed to to avoid it by the skin of his teeth.

"Piccolo!" the little boy shouted, glaring down at the platform as the blast exploded off into the distance, "That wasn't very nice!"

"Yeah you could have hit him!" growled Trunks.

"That was the idea," Piccolo smirked, another glowing orb growing rapidly in his palm.

"Don't do it Piccolo!" Goku snapped, grabbing the tall Namekian by the wrist and stopping him in his tracks.

Piccolo blinked, allowing the blast to subside before grinning widely at the saiyan, "I see, so you want your turn already…"

"No I'm not going to fight you!" he protested, letting his wrist go, "This isn't the time!"

"I don't think you have a choice."

"NO!" Goku cried, as the Majin aimed his palm towards the stands, releasing a large beam of energy that hurtled towards the crowd.

Instinctively, Gohan's feet kicked off the tiles as he raced towards the blast in order to intercept it - but he was too late.

The blood curdling screams of the spectators intermingled with his own as the beam connected, sending charred and charcoaled bodies soaring high into the air. The structure fell apart, metal scaffolding twisting and turning, melting from the heat of the energy. An explosion rocked the arena as the blast powered through the stands and into the city, leaving a long trail of smoke in its wake.

"Have you officially lost your mind?!" Gohan roared, earning himself an odd look.

Oh riiiiiight, he had.

The young saiyan clenched his eyelids tight as Piccolo's raucous laughter echoed over the tournament grounds. People were screaming in the distance, creating utter pandemonium as they raced towards the exits, crushing and crashing into each other as they went. Luckily, he found his mother and Bulma's Ki, along with his grandfather's and the rest of the gang situated on the other side of the arena. As he breathed a small sigh of relief, he heard his father shout -

"Piccolo how could you?!"

His father was livid, obsidian eyes wide and feral as he snapped his gaze away from the destruction. Gohan had only seen his father truly angry a hand full of times, and had forgotten how utterly terrifying it could be. He would go as far to say that Goku was scarier than Chi-Chi when he was mad.

"Goten, Trunks! Go and find your mothers and get everyone out of here!" Goku roared.

"But Dad-" Goten started.

" _Now,"_ Goku stated firmly, his eyes fixated on Piccolo.

Goten looked towards Gohan, who gave his little brother a firm nod before they blasted off into the stands.

Piccolo smirked, "So, are you going to fight me Goku? It has been a long time. And with this power I can finally beat you once and for all and prove my worth."

His father frowned, "You've got my attention, I'll give you that much."

"You can't be serious?!" The Supreme Kai gasped, his head frantically looking in between the old rivals.

"I won't let you kill anymore innocent people!" Goku growled, bursting into his super saiyan form. The wind picked up around their feet, the skies suddenly beginning to darken from the surge of power.

"Kakarot…" Vegeta spoke lowly, his eyes flickering between the two.

"Stop this at once!" The Kai yelled, standing in between them with his arms outstretched, "I cannot allow you to do this! Don't you see Goku? This is exactly what Babidi wants! If you fight now, every injury that Piccolo causes - that energy will be sent back to the ship!"

"Well I suppose I'd better not let myself get injured hadn't I?"

"Are you seriously doing this now?" Gohan roared, "We haven't got time for this! Gokuto needs our help!"

"Stay out of it Gohan," said Vegeta, "Your father and Piccolo obviously have some unfinished business to attend to. You would be wise not to get in their way."

"What is wrong with you mortals?!" The Supreme Kai said, letting out a cry of frustration, "Don't you understand that the universe is more important than your meaningless squabble?!"

"Meaningless?" Piccolo growled, the tiles beneath them shaking as his Ki began to spike, "What do you know of meaningless?! You have no idea… spending most of your life being brainwashed by a voice in your head only to be defeated by the very man you were born to destroy! Then, watching his son surpass in every way along with the rest of these prideful saiyan's! Helpless as your power is pushed aside, the poor Namekian, only good for babysitting brats! Then tell me, what else matters?! What else matters other than proving my strength?!"

"Piccolo you don't have to prove-" Goku started.

"Quiet!" The Namekian roared, his aura exploding around him, sending shockwaves across the stadium, "You are the worst of them all! Pitying me, saving my life over and over again as though I'm a helpless child! I won't stand for it any longer, you have taken away my honour Son Goku, and the debt must be repaid!"

To the teenager's surprise, his father's features hardened as he cast his gaze up towards the sky, "Babidi! Take us to a place far away from any people! If you do that, then I will fight Piccolo."

"Goku no!" the Kai roared.

"Shut it Kai!" spat Vegeta, "It is a matter of pride. Let the idiots have their battle, Gohan and I will return to the ship to destroy Babidi and Dabura."

The purple skinned deity stared at them, as the look on Goku's face did not waver.

Slowly, the Kai sighed, "So be it."

 _"Paparapapa!"_

In another blinding flash of light, Gohan, Vegeta and Shin appeared back in the room of stage three, and Goku and Piccolo were nowhere to be seen.

The young saiyan sighed, and stretching out his senses he found his father and his corrupted mentor on the other side of the Northern mountains, preparing themselves for battle. Gohan didn't understand why Piccolo had given in to such dark desires, he didn't even know he had any in the first place. Was what he said true? Did his beloved mentor really feel that way about him?"

"There's no use dwelling on it brat," came Vegeta's voice from beside him, staring at him intently, "We've got a job to do."

"Vegeta's right," said The Supreme Kai, "We will just have to continue in our efforts."

"You had better let me blow up the entrance to Babidi Kai," the prince seethed, "I'm fed up of wasting my time fighting weaklings."

Supreme Kai sweated, "Yes, I think I may have to agree with you Vegeta, we must reach Babidi quickly before any energy is fed to Majin Buu from Goku and Piccolo's battle. I believe we must weigh up our options, though I must say that it would be better to risk awakening Buu in his current state from the shock of breaking through the ship, rather than him achieving his full power from the energy lost by Goku."

"Excellent," Vegeta smirked, and with that he aimed a large ball of energy at the floor, blasting it apart in a shower of debris and light.

"A little warning?" Gohan coughed as the dust subsided.

"Tch, stop whining," he spat, before jumping through the hole in the floor.

The teenager rolled his eyes before following him, The Supreme Kai not far behind them.

Babidi squeaked, as they landed before him, cowering behind Dabura who all but licked his lips in anticipation.

The room was dark and dingy, and rather stuffy for a supposed evil lair. The wizard and his accomplice stared at them, standing in front of large flesh coloured ball that Gohan guessed was Buu's prison. It looked rather slimy, a slight sheen glistening over its skin from the dim lighting. Large veins pulsated over its structure as it sat atop of a metal platform to prevent it from rolling away.

The teen saiyan had never felt anything like it, a cold, empty presence emanated from the sphere, causing his tail hair to stand on end. A dial stood in front of the prison, much like the one that Spopovich had pointed at Gokuto, the hand of which was quivering just over halfway.

A harsh tremor shook the ceiling above them. It seemed that his father and Piccolo's fight was in full swing, as the hand on the dial shuddered a little, creeping up a little forwards to full.

Gohan gritted his teeth, he still couldn't see Gokuto anywhere, let alone sense him.

"Look at what you've done to my ship you worms!" Babidi growled, hiding behind Dabura's leg.

"That's nothing compared with what we're about to do to you," Vegeta smirked, clenching his fists and glowering at the wizard.

"Cocky," Dabura grinned wickedly, before turning his focus to Gohan, "Hello again brat, come back for more so soon? I look forward to killing you."

"That won't be necessary just yet Dabura," came a cool female voice from the shadows.

Suddenly, the Demon King's eyes widened, violet blood pouring from his mouth as he gasped in shock, a red beam of light ripping through his heart.

Gohan stepped back in bewilderment as Dabura fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Dead.

"You wench!" Babidi cried, whirling around him in horror, "What did you do?! I'll have you for this! I'll-"

But the wizard was abruptly cut off, as another beam of energy tore through his chest. Babidi let out a startled cry, falling to the ground beside Dabura, blood seeping through his robes.

"N-no," the wizard gasped, clutching at his chest, "Ize, w-why?"

"Because I have no use for you now," came the retort as the mysterious being stepped out of the shadows.

The teenager gasped, as slender white and fuchsia body armour glinted at them from beneath the dull light.

Plump purple lips, twisted into a sadistic smirk as the female stepped over the dying wizard, her long white tail slithering over his body as she went. Long turquoise robes swished at claw like feet as she approached them, long black nails digging into her palms as she clenched her fists in anticipation. Horns sat like a crown atop her head, beetle black eyes twinkling at them in curiosity.

Gohan couldn't believe what he was seeing… she looked like - she looked like -

"Ah, Prince Vegeta," she smirked, "It has been too long."

 **xxxx**

 **Planet Frost, Age 450**

Demon is such a word that is given to a particularly zealous being, capable of inflicting great pain and evil influence. Corruption, deception and a passion for cruelty are traits that the Icen race or 'Frost Demons' as they became known to outsiders, taught their offspring from the moment they took their first steps.

From these teachings from their ancestors, the Frost Demons thrived. Capable of living for hundreds of years, their highly advanced race cared not for the harsh arctic conditions of the planet they had come to name Frost, for the weakest of their kind were left to fall victim to the inevitable natural selection.

As their strength grew, so did their thirst for power and control. For centuries, surrounding planets of the Southern Quadrant grew fearful of the Frost Demons, until eventually planet after planet pledged allegiance to them or fell victim to their tyranny.

Of course, the superior beings of planet Frost relished in their glory, countless battles won and blood shed on their part. There would be stories told throughout generations of their ancestors victories over other weaker species. Yet there was one tale that plagued their nightmares, a tale so frightening that none knew where the legend had come from, although it was splashed across the history books as fact.

Some brushed it off as an old folk story, even though something stirred deep within at the thought of the Super Saiyan. It was well known that the saiyan's were a primitive race that resided in the Eastern Quadrant of the universe, their uncanny hunger for battle and conflict was well known across the galaxies. Yet if the saiyan's were able to harness the legend, the Frost Demon's reign would extinguish long before it reached its peak.

Blizzard was a demon of calm resilience and a brilliant mind. At his time of ruling over the planet, he became obsessed with the legend, some questioning whether the King was on the verge of madness. For years, he spent tucked away within the archives of his castle forged of ice and crystal, until he had an epiphany. Blizzard sought control of the Saiyan race, along with any other race who dared rival the Frost Demon's might.

Thus an empire was built from greed and fear, yet unfortunately the old King did not live to see his work prosper as he was driven mad by his own obsession. The responsibility of this early empire was passed down to his only son, Zero. A proud yet intelligent King, who sought to continue his father's legacy through his own sons.

"And that my children, is how your grandfather started our great empire," A voice echoed through the vast halls of the throne room.

The ice carved roof was held up by crystal clear beams that shot up from the sparkling floor. A large throne made of pure diamond stone sat proudly overlooking the entire room, glistening as the planets distant sun beat down upon the castle.

Three figures strolled down the blood red carpet laid out in the centre of the long hall, two pairs of beady crimson eyes staring in wonder at their larger counterpart.

"Did he ever find the saiyan warriors father?" The smallest spoke in an upbeat tone, almost running to keep up with his fellow demons.

Zero chuckled darkly, placing a scaly palm on the boy's head, "I wish I could say so my son, yet our technologies are not as advanced as we would like. But one day we will stretch our empire to the eastern quadrant-"

"And then the whole universe!" The tallest boy offered, jumping up and down, his long white tail thrashing wildly.

Zero frowned, causing the eldest child to falter under his father's stare, "Now Cold, we must not get too far ahead of ourselves. The universe stretches far and wide, ignorance to the outside world may become your downfall my son."

Cold scoffed, folding his arms across his purple and white body armour, "We are the strongest race in the universe father, _nothing_ can compare to our power!"

"Only in _our_ quadrant," his brother tested, his eyes narrowed at Cold, although the youngster stumbled over his words; "There might be races stronger than us, like… like.. the saiyan's! And who knows what else brother!"

Cold laughed, poking the younger boy in his blue and white chest plate, "Then I'll destroy them! No one will dare to challenge me when _I'm_ King!"

The boy growled, pulling away from his older brother, "Well we might need the strongest people for wars and battles and stuff! There's no point in destroying _everyone_!"

"You're just scared Frore," Cold teased with a wicked smirk, "But don't worry little brother, I'll look out for you."

Frore responded by sticking out his tongue. This seemed the last straw for their father, who was casually watching the scene with indifferent amusement.

"That's enough my sons," Zero said coolly, as he approached his throne.

The two brothers stopped their bickering and immediately turned to their father. His royal blue cape ruffled in the slight breeze as he turned his horned head to meet his children.

"The Empire will be yours to mould and expand one day, but for now I believe you both have some training to do."

The boys bowed their heads in silence, although they stole the occasional glance at each other as they stood in front of the tall demon.

'You are dismissed," Zero sighed haughtily, settling in his icy throne as one of his servants offered him his favourite glass of wine.

The tyrant watched as the two children ran out of the hall, attempting to trip each other on the way out.

Zero placed his wine glass to his lips hesitantly, the tall crystal doors shutting with a sharp clink, "Those boys will either take this empire to greatness, or destroy it."

And so it came to pass that when the King died, a rivalry was forged between the two brothers that was so great, it split the empire in half. Whilst the newly crowned King Cold inherited the family business, Frore decided that he would construct a trade of his own accord, taking almost half of the Frost Army with him.

King Cold grew tired of his younger brother's musings, and instead focussed on purging and acquiring planets, resulting in a larger empire and the founding of the Planet Trade Organisation.

Frore, however, had inherited his father's strategic intellect, gathering his army to purge planets not for its value or properties. No, Frore decided that the key to a successful empire was to gain the best warriors the planets had to offer. Thus, Frore founded the Warrior Trade Organisation, enlisting only the best into his own army. A small but efficient part of the Frost empire, the strength of his army of hundreds rivalled his brothers of thousands.

It was not long before it came the time to pass on their knowledge and power to future generations, and so it would be that Cold bore two sons; Cooler and Frieza, and Frore a daughter who he named Ize. Though incredibly powerful beings since birth, the young girl rivalled her cousins greatly, something that Cold did not take lightly to.

"It's preposterous!" Cold glowered a couple of centuries later, "How can that _girl_ of yours hold that much power?"

"Perhaps because she trains with the strongest fighter's in the universe on a daily basis," Frore replied from opposite his brother.

Cold swirled his glass of wine around in his palm in annoyance, taking a large gulp before glaring at his sibling, "Are you suggesting my son's aren't a challenge for your daughter?"

"I'm just saying that if you acknowledged the W.T.O and allowed Frieza and Cooler to participate in conquering planets instead of giving out orders to those saiyan's, then they may be just as strong as Ize," he said calmly, though there was a smugness to his tone.

"I will NOT!" Cold spat, throwing down his glass so that it shattered onto the floor. Servants squeaked around him, rushing to clear the mess before they were stopped by the King.

"Leave it! Leave it you incompetent fools!" he roared, causing them to scarper in terror, "GET OUT! LEAVE THIS PLACE AT ONCE! I need to have a little chat with my dear brother."

No one knew what had really happened to Frore that day, though the servants that had been present could only guess. King Cold was world's stronger than his brother, and certainly wouldn't have his niece become more powerful than him and his sons. It was _his_ empire after all.

Ize was off conquering a distant planet in the hopes of gathering its warriors when she had heard of her father's death due to a sudden illness. With Lord Frore gone, the warrior trade disbanded, and Ize was taken in by her uncle as a ward. Though she rarely saw her King, and was subjected to roaming around the castle with her confident and guardian, the Ghonaterra named Checha.

So it was a rarity to see her uncle at the Frost Kingdom when he had landed after overseeing the selling of Planet Kanassa with her cousin Frieza. He had, as usual, brushed past the young woman, heading straight for his chambers, stating that he had a meeting with a wizard named Babidi.

Babidi, short in stature put powerful in nature, left King Cold's chamber utterly disappointed. Apparently, he had heard of the so called warrior trade, and wished for Cold to revive his dead brother's old empire in order to gather enough energy to unleash an ancient evil monster that Ize had only read about in books in the castle's enormous library. Though the King was too stubborn to realise Babidi's plan to his advantage, and banished him from the planet.

As Babidi made to take his leave, Ize, encouraged by Checha, struck up a deal with the wizard. She would help him to achieve his goal, and gather warrior's from all over the universe to rejoin the W.T.O in her father's honour. That is, if the wizard would take her with him, away from her uncle's tyranny so that she could come back stronger with her warriors and murder them all.

And so Ize searched the stars along with Babidi and Checha, for warriors and their pure energy, in the hopes that they would find Majin Buu in the process. It wasn't until one day in the Age of 767 did Ize sense a great, unyielding power emit across the cosmos did they set their sights on the far corner of the Northern Galaxy.

Yes, Ize would finally be able to use the energy to release Majin Buu, and then, the universe would finally tremble at her feet, just like her father had intended.

 _So as you can see I decided to not go with Majin Gohan, and it was never my intention to do so, so I really apologise for the people who were looking forward to seeing Majin Gohan! But as one of you lovely reviewers pointed out, it was unlikely that Gohan would give into Babidi as is the one holding Gokuto captive. I decided on Majin Piccolo instead of Vegeta as Vegeta is a lot different in my story than in the orginal DBZ universe - Bulla has been born earlier, he and Gohan have formed a bond etc. Piccolo on the other hand has been a little distant when Gohan dropped out of his training earlier on in the story, so I hope it makes sense to you all. I just wanted to give other characters some development and also highlight that not all the father figures in Gohan's life are perfect. Hope this offers some more explaination if it didnt already! xxx_


	31. Enemies Awaken

**Chapter Thirty**

 **Enemies Awaken**

 **xxxx**

 **Planet Earth, Age 774**

"Get out of here brat, now."

Gohan blinked, tearing his eyes away from the Frieza look-a-like and staring at Vegeta in confusion, "But Vegeta -"

"Go now!" he seethed, "Hurry up and find the damned runt before it's too late!"

"But who _is_ that?" The teenager pressed, as the female flicked her tail around her.

"Ize," Vegeta spat, a dark look encompassing his features, "She's Frieza's cousin."

"Frieza's - ?!" Gohan gaped, "What happened to you going off into space to go and destroy the rest of Frieza's empire?!"

"I missed one!" The prince snapped, glaring at the teen, "Now leave! I will not tell you again!"

"Vegeta's right Gohan," The Supreme Kai breathed, "You must find Gokuto before it's too late. Ize is the head of the Warrior Trade Organisation, a little different to the Planet Trade you have come to know from your dealings with Frieza. Ize has some of the universes strongest fighter's at her disposal, there's no telling -!"

"Come now Supreme Kai," Ize spoke in a sickly sweet manner, "You think of me too harshly. I'm not going to hurt the little mongrel. Oh no, I must admit I was rather surprised when my Checha brought the brat to me. One part monkey and the rest human, such a _weak_ combination. Had it not been for such unusual energy I would have had him killed on sight. But no, he is too valuable. Yes, he will make an excellent addition to my empire."

"He's not going anywhere," Gohan glowered, causing Ize to incline her head towards him.

"Ah, and you must be the boy's father… yes I can almost taste the mixed blood from here… such a commodity."

"Enough!" Vegeta snapped, slipping into fighting stance, "I would have thought you would have perished long ago _Lady_ Ize, though it seems that I was mistaken. My son and Kakarot have had the pleasure of destroying the rest of your worthless family, and now I think it's my turn."

"Don't worry yourself so Vegeta," she grinned, "You can give my uncle my best yourself once I send you to the afterlife!"

Vegeta smirked, unleashing a scream so powerful that it reverberated off the walls of the ship, sending Gohan and the Kai flying backwards as his golden aura sprang to life.

The remaining tiles on the ceiling shook before breaking off and landing on the lifeless body of Dabura. Majin Buu's spherical prison wobbled, the dial inching all the more closer to the top as bolts of electricity started the lick around Vegeta's frame, snapping at the air as his spikey hair turned golden, his obsidian eyes swirling to a vibrant green.

Vegeta had ascended.

"Since when?!" Gohan gaped.

Vegeta grinned, "Since you've been too busy babysitting to notice."

"Touche."

The air crackled around them, "That's your cue to leave brat."

"Oh right," said the teen, clambering to his feet, "Sorry."

"Tch."

"Be careful Gohan," Shin spoke softly, "Ize's warriors are not one's to be underestimated. I'll stay here with Vegeta incase the force of his and Ize's fight causes Buu to awaken, if that happens, I might be able to hold him off for a while in his current state. Get your son out of here as quickly as you can, I might need you to jump in if I die."

Gohan gulped, this shit was starting to get serious.

Sprinting from the chamber, the young saiyan attempted to ignore the strangled cry of Vegeta as he blundered down the steel lined corridors. It was dark, and the teenager was struggling to see. He contemplated turning super saiyan to give himself some light when he saw the flicker of a lamp coming from up ahead.

Slowing down as the sound of muffled voices reached his ears, he found himself in a large bunker that looked to be the ship's storage container. Boxes upon boxes of food, equipment and strange looking artefacts were piled high upon the silver steel floor.

The teenager quickly pushed his life energy to the pit of his stomach, lowering his Ki to resemble but a mere door mouse. He crept lightly in between the piles of boxes, and, careful not to hit anything and draw attention to himself, he wrapped his tail around his waist, bending low to avoid being seen.

Suddenly, the sound of soft crying reached his ears. His breath caught in his throat.

Gokuto.

Craning his neck around a steel container, Gohan spotted the weeping child being suspended in mid air by Babidi's shield, the magical sphere keeping him contained.

"Be quiet brat!" A low male voice spat.

It was Checha, who glowered at the little saiyan, his face close to the levitating orb. Gokuto toppled onto his bottom in fright, terror in his emerald eyes as he stared up at the strange humanoid. Gohan's blood boiled, as he struggled to keep himself from back-handing the brute across the room.

"I'm fed up of your constant snivelling," Checha seethed, before walking away to join his two comrades.

The teenager sighed, just how many evil villains did he have to deal with today?

They were both dressed in the same brown and gold plated armour. One was of a similar height to Checha, with large bulking muscles and a deep frown upon his features. Gohan thought him to be some kind of demon, what with the yellow pointed horns upon his head, His charcoal black eyes surveying the child. The other looked like a werewolf in Gohan's opinion, with spindly brown hair covering his muscular body, a large snout and pointed ears. He salivated, looking towards Gokuto and licking his lips hungrily.

"Can't I just eat him?" the wolf-like being slathered, "That hybrid stench is almost too much to bare."

"Calm yourself Lycorn," Checha ordered, "If it weren't for Lady Ize so adamant to keep him, I would have let you use his bones as a toothpick."

"If only," Lycorn whined, turning away from Gokuto as to not to tempt himself.

"I don't understand what she sees in him," growled the horned warrior, "He's just some saiyan runt."

"Do not question your mistress dear Dodoma, she sees great potential in this one," Checha said smoothly, "Yes, it is rather amazing how the child was able to awaken from Babidi's sleeping spell so easily, by rights he should still be out for a few more hours."

"Shame mistress plans to kill the wizard, else I would have asked him to put him in a coma," Dodoma huffed, raising his fist, "Though I still can't understand why I can't do it myself."

Gokuto squeaked, cowering towards the back of the sphere, shaking in fright.

Checha chuckled darkly, "Now now Dodoma, Lady Ize wants his body intact for now."

"Just one little arm won't hurt though will it?" Lycorn drooled, approaching the small prison so that the child began to whimper, "Or a leg? I'm sure it -"

 **TWACK**

The wolf-like fiend skidded backwards, hitting the opposite wall with a loud thud, Checha's outstretched palm aimed towards him. Gohan blinked, the Ghonaterra had moved so fast that he hadn't even seen it.

"I said _no_ ," Checha growled, his scarlet eyes narrowed, "It is unclear why Lady Ize wants the boy yet, she may want to enlist him or use his energy to awaken Buu. Either way he is to be left _unharmed_. It is not for you to decide Lycorn."

Lycorn whimpered, getting steadily to his feet, his clawed fingers grasping his bloodied cheek. He turned, regaining his composure as another tremor from above rocked the ship.

"Looks like Majin Buu will be at full power soon, the way they're going at it," said Dodoma, casting his gaze above him, "Odd, it seems these Earthling's are more powerful than we predicted."

"They will not be of any trouble to us," said Checha, "Once Majin Buu is at full power, I will see to it myself to destroy them. Then nothing will stand in our way…Hm I can sense the wizard's life leaving him, yes, it will not be long now."

"What about Prince Vegeta?" Lycorn slathered, "He seems incredibly strong."

"Unfortunate yes, that he is still alive," Checha mused, "Lady Ize had thought he had been destroyed by Frieza some years ago. Though he will soon realise that he is no match… ah, do you feel that? The little prince is having trouble."

Noticing that the trio had become distracted by the battles occurring around them, Gohan made his move. Praying to Kami that the brutes didn't start to antagonise Gokuto once more, the young saiyan inched his way over to the spherical shield, where the crying child was sat with his head in his hands.

"Psst, 'Kuto," Gohan whispered, causing the young boy to jump in fright, "Shh its me!"

"D-daddy?" Gokuto gasped quietly, his tearful emerald eyes widening to the size of saucers, "Daddy you're here!"

"Don't worry kiddo, I'll get you out of here," the teenager smiled, reaching up to touch the shield, "just hold on."

 **ZAP**

The young saiyan was suddenly fired across the room, as a sudden force surrounding the orb electrified his body, sending him hurtling towards a stack of food supplies with a loud crash.

As something resembling a slimly octopus slipped over his head, Gohan didn't have time to contemplate how he was going to get Gokuto out when he was suddenly surrounded.

"Well well, what do we have here?" Lycorn growled, his saliva dripping to the floor as he eyed the teen's tail, "Another saiyan."

"The child's brother no doubt," Dodoma scorned, "How foolish, falling so readily into our mists."

"I'm his _father_ actually," Gohan growled, before muttering to himself, "Kami, even in space I'm judged."

"Stupid boy," slathered Lycorn, "did you really think we would have had him strung up so easily for the taking? The shield the child is confined in is no ordinary force field, it is held up by magic. Only Babidi would be able to break it."

"Don't worry Lycorn, the little runt wouldn't have gotten far," Checha smirked.

"You sick bastards," the teenager spat, "Where do get off in kidnapping a toddler? You'd better let him go or else-"

"Or else what?" The elf-like alien grinned in amusement, "are you going to try to save him? You? The little half-breed who couldn't even defeat someone like Dabura? Oh don't look so aghast, surely you've realised by now that you and your little friends are completely outclassed."

Gohan growled, not wasting anytime and erupting into his super saiyan form. The boxes blew back from where he stood, the slimy creature on his head flying to the back of the room.

"Ah so this is the _legendary_ super saiyan transformation," Checha chortled mockingly, "How pathetic. All you've managed to do is change the colour of your hair!"

"And all you've managed to do is piss me off!" The teenager yelled, before firing himself towards the brute and aiming his fist towards his face.

Checha blocked the punch effortlessly, though he seemed a little surprised as to the halfling's sudden outburst. Lycorn and Dodoma were upon him in an instant, causing Gohan to dodge and block their swinging limbs as they came hurtling towards him.

The teenager stepped aside as Dodoma raised is fists in order to deliver a hammer strike to his skull, yet Gohan was too fast, identifying an opening point and sending his knee forcibly into the alien's stomach.

Dodoma gasped in pain, as the ceiling gave another shudder. The ship was beginning to fall apart, as bits of soil came seeping in through the cracks in the tiles. Though Gohan didn't have time to do a quick Ki check in Vegeta's direction, as a he was met with a sharp elbow to the spine, causing him to stumble forwards a few feet.

A loud cry caused him to regain his composure, as Dodoma aimed his pointed claws towards him, swiping at the air with malicious intent. The young saiyan dodged the sharp nails with ease as the brute became frustrated.

Gohan smirked, until Lycorn lurched himself forwards, his jaw locking around his left leg.

"YOWCH!" Gohan cried, as Lycorn's sharp fangs sunk into the flesh of his calf. The teenager spun around, struggling to break free but all it did was make it worse. Lycorn's teeth dragged across his skin, tearing large gashes in the muscle and causing blood to flow from the wound.

With almighty bellow, the teenager struck the wolf-like alien with a hard chop to the neck. He howled, releasing the teenager and stumbling backwards to the ground, dazed. Gohan breathed heavily, staring at the wound that had a strange green fluid mixing into his blood.

"Ah yes," Checha said smoothly, as the teenager's leg buckled underneath him, the gashes starting to fizzle and burn. "Yes Lycorn's saliva paralyses its victims, the acid will soon enter your blood stream and kill you from the inside, shutting down your organs one by one…"

"What the bloody hell is it with you lot and magical spit?!" The halfling bellowed, as another explosion sounded from somewhere in the ship.

"You know, I was going to allow you to suffer," he replied, his scarlet eyes glinting at the young saiyan, "But your whining is starting to get on my nerves."

"You should get Vegeta's number," said Gohan, gritting his teeth in pain, "I think you two would get along great. He likes to bitch at me too."

Checha smirked wickedly, until his gaze shifted to Gokuto who had begun to scream, banging his tiny fists against the sphere. It sparked and cracked, though the toddler seemed unaffected by the shield as he continued to cry.

"Remarkable," quirked Checha, "How is he able to damage it?"

"Daddy! Daddy! Leave him alone you big bully!" Gokuto roared, tears streaming down his distraught face.

Checha grinned manically at Gohan, who's heart was near to breaking at the sound of his son's screams. Though his vision of Gokuto was suddenly blocked by a glowing, crackling orb that grew in front of his line of sight.

"This is the end for you half-breed," growled Checha, aiming the blast towards him, "Say goodbye to your son."

Though the teenager wasn't ready to give up so easily, he gritted his teeth, willing his leg to move when the blast was suddenly extinguished.

Gohan blinked, as Checha's ears twitched, his crimson eyes widening, "Majin Buu is at full power."

The halfling's stomach plummeted, as he felt an enormous spike of crippling power.

 **BOOM**

A sudden explosion rocked the spaceship, causing it to completely break apart. The teenager braced himself as he was fired from the ground, dirt and broken parts of the ship rained around him as they were hurtled back towards the surface. Fires raged all around him as he caught himself in midair, clutching a shell shocked Gokuto to his chest who he had managed to grab in the middle of the fray.

Gohan narrowed his eyes, glaring at the enraged super saiyan two on the ground.

"Ever heard of self control?!" The teenager roared.

Though Vegeta didn't hear, he was standing with Supreme Kai, who like him was bruised and bloodied from battle. Their clothes were singed and torn, caked with the mud that had splattered them as they had been hurtled out of the ship.

They both stood in front of Lady Ize, whose long cloak had been discarded. Gohan was angered to see that she had few bruises upon her armoured body compared to Vegeta. She laughed manically, as Vegeta and Shin let out an almighty roar and fired energy wave after energy wave at the smoking prison of Buu, that had unfortunately survived the blast.

"Your efforts are in vain!" Ize cackled, as the ball began to hiss loudly, quivering from where it sat on the hard ground, "It is futile! Majin Buu will rise again! And you will all cease to exist!"

Gohan clenched his fist, his other arm holding Gokuto tightly, who had begun to scream once more, burying his face into his shoulder.

"I don't wanna fight the monster! I don't wanna fight the monster!" The little boy cried over and over into Gohan's chest.

With his onyx eyes darting around him, the teenager spotted Lycorn lying dead a few feet away, his body not able to sustain the impact of what he presumed was Vegeta's fury. Dodoma too, was leaning against a steel slate that had implanted itself into the ground, panting heavily. Gohan could not see Checha anywhere, and hoped that he too had been killed in the blast. He couldn't see Dabura's body, though Babidi lay wheezing by Ize's feet, barely alive.

Gulping down the lump in his throat, Gohan looked towards Gokuto in his arms, before steadily floating to the ground a few feet away from the smoking ball.

"Gokuto, you need to run," the teenager said sternly, prising the boy away from him.

The toddler scrambled in mid-air, before Gohan put him down on the ground, "But Daddy-!"

"Gokuto do as I say," said Gohan sternly.

"N- hic-no!" the young boy huffed stubbornly, hiccuping as he continued to cry.

The halfling sighed, panic rising in his chest as Buu's prison began to shake more violently, "'Kuto, trust me you _need_ to get out of here! Run now!"

"B-but I'm scared," he replied sadly, his emerald eyes sparkling with tears.

"I know kiddo, me too," Gohan said honestly, "But you've got to run, go and hide and I'll come find you once I've helped Vegeta."

"Pwomise?"

"Promise," he stated firmly, kneeling down and wrapping his arms around him, squeezing him tightly, "Now run."

The little boy nodded, breaking away from the teenager and making a break for some nearby rocks, tripping on his tail as he went.

But he didn't get far.

Gokuto squeaked, toppling onto his backside as Checha phased in front of him, a gash evident above his eyebrow, sending blood trickling down the one side of his face, making him look all the more sinister. His hulking stature towered over the small boy as he gritted his teeth, crimson eyes glaring at Gohan.

"No wonder you wanted to keep the brat to yourself," he breathed heavily, "That blast… such power… do you think I'm going to let him go so willingly?"

Gohan glared, though confused as to what on earth the alien was talking about, "And do you think I'm going to let you live so willingly? Because you'd be sorely mistaken! Gokuto RUN!"

Doing as he was told, the little boy scarpered just as Gohan kicked off from the ground and hurtled towards Checha. But the elf-like alien was too fast, phasing out before the teenager could grab hold and reappearing a few feet away, firing a crimson coloured blast towards a terrified Gokuto.

"KAMEHAMEHA!"

The bright blue energy knocked Checha off his feet, sending the direction of his blast up towards the sky, where it exploded in a brilliant shower of light. Taken completely off guard, the alien flew into a cliff side, sending rocks and boulders toppling down towards him.

"Thank Kami you're back! I was beginning to worry!" Gohan exclaimed, smiling widely at the fully functioning Z-Fighters. "Thanks for jumping in there, he nearly hit him!"

"Don't worry about it," Krillin grinned, dusting off his hands before pointing towards the scene, "Mind telling us what's going on here mate?"

"Yeah!" panicked Yamcha, his eyes wide, "why does is feel like your dad and Piccolo are fighting over there? And is that Frieza?! And what the bloody hell happened to your leg?!"

The teenager winced as he looked down at his calf, that was now turning a disgusting shade of black, "It's a long story, but in the meantime, does anyone have a senzu? My leg is literally rotting."

But it was too late, as suddenly Gohan heard the Supreme Kai let out a desperate cry of anguish.

"NO IT CANNOT BE!"

Gohan's blood ran cold. The energy emanating from Buu's prison had risen to new heights, heights the teenager had never come close to feeling in his entire life.

It was clear that Vegeta had felt it too, as he ceased in his attack, staring at the sphere with an aghast expression. Gohan felt Krillin shiver next to him, as the rest of the Z-Fighter's stood still, frozen in horror as the ball began to open.

There was an audible creak as the slimy residue of the sphere hardened, even Ize's manic laughter had been silenced. A long line cracked down the centre of the ball, opening but a fraction before a whirlwind of hot steam shot out of the crevice.

It shook violently as the skies above them began to darken, the sheer essence of the monster's Ki causing rolls of thunder to ripple overhead, sharp bolts of lightening snapping and cracking at the ground. A stray bolt of lightening hit the sphere, causing both halves to fall to the floor with a loud crash. They span and quivered, as the Kai fell to his knees, staring in horror at the being in front of him.

The first thing that Gohan noticed was that his body was a vibrant shade of pink. The monster had a long antenna atop his head and holes for ears, along with what looked like tiny steam holes littering his body. His forearms were twice as large as his biceps, with large muscular hands that were clenched tightly into fists. His chest was bare, and he wore white baggy trousers with a black and gold belt with the ever familiar calligraphed 'M' emblazoned into the material.

Had Gohan not sensed the tremendous, earth quaking power coming from the being, he would have reasoned that Majin Buu didn't look all that powerful. Though it may have been due to the fact that Buu's eyes were still closed, having not realised that he was indeed free.

"It's time!" Ize grinned maliciously, grabbing the dying wizard by the head and hoisting him up to face Buu, "Do the spell wizard!"

"B-but-" Babidi squeaked, his green skin pale and his pupils over dilated.

"Do it!" Ize spat, her fingers digging into his skull and causing violet blood to drip down his cheeks.

Babidi whimpered, but did as instructed, raising his shaking hands towards Majin Buu, he mumbled something in a strange language that Gohan didn't recognise, before shouting with his dying breath -

"Paparapapa!"

Buu's eyes flew open as soon as the lifeless body of the wizard hit the ground. The Z-Fighter's gasped, as Majin Buu's eyes surveyed the fire laden planes. Black eyeballs with bright fuchsia pupils boggled as he released a high pitched cry.

"BUUUUUUUU!"

The teenager had to clamp his hands over his ears at the monster shrieks, his manic tone echoing over the cliffs.

"Yes Majin Buu, you are awakened," gushed Ize gleefully.

Buu cocked his head towards her in curiosity, his eyes darting about her before he smirked.

"Yes, thats right I am your master," she continued, grinning as the monster was under her control, "Now, before we have our fun my Buu, why don't you do me the pleasure and kill these worthless pests? You can even kill the Supreme Kai, I'm sure that will please you greatly, I hear you have some unfinished business with him don't you? Yes that's him Buu! The one that locked you away in your prison eons ago!"

"Buu kill, BUU KILL!" The monster roared, pounding his fists on his chest before a fuchsia aura picked up around him, purple bolts of electricity licking at his frame.

"Everyone get out of here now!" The Kai roared as the shuddering evil energy flooded their senses.

The Z-Fighter's wasted no time in kicking off from the ground as a gust of wind hurtled towards them from the sheer force of the monster's power up. The teenager panicked, he needed to find Gokuto before this lunatic blew apart the entire Northern planes.

Lifting off into the sky, Gohan made to find the small boy hidden amongst the beds of rocks surrounding them, when a sharp tug on his tail held him back.

The young saiyan cried out in pain, whirling around him only to come face to face with Checha.

"I've got a score to settle with you brat," he seethed, his crimson eyes glinting with malice.

"No no my dear Checha," came Ize's voice over the roar of the winds, "I say we let Buu have the boy. It has been thousands of years since he's stretched his legs. I think it's only fitting that his first taste of blood is that of a saiyan…"

Gohan's eyes widened, as Majin Buu unleashed an almighty scream that thundered over the vast landscape, powering up even further.

"Damn it bitch!" Vegeta roared from above, his golden aura igniting around him as he careened towards the Frost Demon, though was quickly batted away by her tail, his back smashing into one of the ships engines and sending oil seeping over his spandex.

"Vegeta!" Krillin cried, flying back towards the fallen prince.

"Get away from here!" Vegeta spat, glaring daggers at the Z-Fighters floating above him, "I'll get Gohan. Trunks and Goten are on their way here, damn the curious brats! You must intercept them and take them to safety. It may take all of you to hold them off from joining in the fight."

"Charming," snorted Krillin.

"GO NOW!" The prince bellowed, causing him to squeak and rejoin the flabbergasted Z-Fighters.

With one last look to the teenager who was struggling against Checha's grip, did they leave, powering up and blasting off to reach the mischievous duo in time.

Though to Gohan's surprise, he didn't see or sense the Supreme Kai anywhere. But he didn't have time to contemplate just where on earth he had gotten to when Ize's sickening laughter reached his ears once more.

"How touching," she soothed, her tail thrashing around her, "It seems that the sweet prince wants to die with his kin… come Checha, Dodoma, let Majin Buu have his fun whilst we look for the child, the little brat is being very clever and suppressing his energy…"

Then, to Gohan's horror, they took off, searching for Gokuto from the skies. The teenager, finally released, slumped to the floor in a heap. His gi trousers completely torn allowing for his blackened leg collide with the dirt.

He huffed angrily, he was already dying.

Though there was no time to dwell, as Majin Buu ceased in his power-up, a childlike cackle erupting from his chest before he blasted towards the halfling. Buu had moved so quickly that Gohan didn't realise that he had hit him until the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, and the teen had to promptly spit out his mouthful to avoid choking.

Gohan had never been hit so hard in his life, agony erupted in his stomach from where the punch had landed, and the teenager was surprised to find that Buu's fist hadn't gone straight through to the other side of his torso.

His bones groaned and shuddered from the impact, and the young saiyan could only gasp in horror as the monster hit him again, pounding him in the skull so hard that he smashed into the solid ground, creating a small crater from the force.

"GOHAN!" He thought he heard Vegeta cry in the distance.

The prince seemed so far away. His head was spinning, he just knew that his brain had hit the inside of his skull too hard, as blooded spots appeared within his vision. Blood was rushing in his ears, though he could depict a sharp whistling coming from his left side, his ear drum having perforated from the impact of Buu's attack.

"BUU KILL YOU! BUU KILL SAIYAN!"

The monster's venomous screams echoed around him, and all the young saiyan could do was dangle helplessly as the ancient being picked him up by the neck. Thick, sausage like fingers sunk into the flesh as the teenager gasped for air, his lungs burning from the lack of oxygen.

His body was becoming numb.

He distantly heard shouting, and felt two other Ki's appearing at the scene. But he couldn't focus, he couldn't focus on anything else but desperately trying to breathe.

All Gohan felt was the crushing force of Majin Buu around his throat, and then he knew no more.

 _Cliffhanger! I know I'm evil! Hope everyone has a very merry chirstmas! I'll see you in the new year! xxx_


	32. The Sacred Realm of The Kai's

_Hi everyone! I've had such good feedback from you all, thank you so so much! I had a spare few hours so I thought I would put out another couple of chapters for you all to enjoy over christmas. Hope those of you who are having a break from school/work etc are having a good time! And those that aren't then I feel your pain! Cannot believe it's nearly christmas and almost a year since I first published this story! Thank you as always for the amazing response. Enjoy! ps. just a warning - THEM FEELS._

 **Chapter Thirty-One**

 **The Sacred Realm of The Kai's**

 **xxxx**

 **CRACK**

Goku knew at that moment, that that sound would stay with him when he went back to Otherworld. The sound seemed to replicate out loud what he imagined to be his heart breaking.

The sound of Gohan's neck snapping.

He was dead.

His son was dead before Majin Buu threw him to the ground like a sack of meat. Gohan's body crumpled, hitting the ground with a horrible, dull thud, his head lulling at an odd angle. What little life there was left in the teenager's eyes had disappeared. Those beautiful onyx eyes of his mother's, that used to look at Goku with wonder and awe so many years ago, dead.

How?

How had it gone so wrong? It was supposed to be a weekend full of love and making memories. He needed to know whether he should come back, if they still wanted him. Gohan had needed him of course, wanted him, yearned for him even. It was evident from the stories his friends had told him about the teenager over the past few days. It was obvious from the presence of the little boy with bright emerald green eyes.

Gohan had needed him from the moment he had sacrificed himself to save the world from Cell. And Goku had failed him. He had failed Chi-Chi by leaving her to raise Gohan and Goten alone. It was obvious that Piccolo and Vegeta had tried to fill the void that his sons were missing, and somehow he felt like he had disappointed them too. They were his friends after all, as much as he knew the stubborn pair wouldn't like to admit it.

Goku felt that by coming back for the tournament, he could put things right. But he was wrong, the universe had other plans, as they always did when evil was at hand. And he had failed his son again, he had failed them all.

Gohan was dead.

His beautiful, amazing boy was gone. He had left his wife without a son; Goten without a brother and Gokuto without a father.

Why? Why didn't he get there sooner? Why hadn't Gohan trained? Why was Piccolo giving into such dark desires?

Ah, Piccolo.

He distantly heard the Namekian's cries of anger and anguish, although he was stood right next to him. He could never blame his old nemesis for this mess, whatever Piccolo was struggling with, he should have been there for him over the past seven years. Goku knew that now, but it was all too late.

His mind was whirring, and still he could not take his eyes off the lifeless body of his son a few feet away. A faint buzzing reached his ears, along with a shout, until he heard the unmistakable cry of Vegeta-

"KAKAROT MOVE!"

Goku barely had time to duck, before a pink, crackling ball of energy whizzed past his head, exploding into a cliff-face in the distance. This, along with the cackle of the crazed Majin slowly brought him back to reality.

"IDIOT!" Vegeta roared, "If you die you'll cease to exist! Leave, now!"

"B-but Vegeta-"

"DO IT!" He yelled, his obsidian orbs not once leaving Buu, "And take the Namek with you!"

Goku glanced behind him, where Piccolo had sunk to his knees, staring at Gohan's body with an unreadable expression. He had never seen his friend like that before, so lost. He didn't even look like that when Babidi had poisoned his mind. No, he looked completely at ease then, the thought made him shudder.

"KAKAROT!"

The saiyan looked at Vegeta, he had a fierce look in his eyes that he couldn't put his finger on. There was something else mixed in with the determined feral presence, and it was then Goku realised that Vegeta was just as affected by Gohan's death as he and Piccolo were.

Majin Buu's laughter reached his ears as he stared at the three warriors in front of him. He was enjoying it. That sick bastard. He had _enjoyed_ murdering his son. It made his blood boil with anger.

"You can't fight," said Vegeta, as if reading his thoughts, "You're weakened from your fight with Piccolo. All you'll be achieving is getting in my way."

Goku opened his mouth to retort, when the prince cut across him-

"I'm certainly in much better condition than you! Krillin has taken the boys to the Lookout. Take Piccolo and go there. I will handle this," he said forcefully.

His eyes widened, realisation setting in, "Vegeta, you can't! Y-you'll die!"

"Don't you think I know that?!" he spat, snapping his gaze towards him, "You concentrate on going after Ize."

"W-who?" the younger saiyan asked, confused.

"You'll find out soon enough," Vegeta glowered.

Goku was silent, as the wind blew between them.

"Go," Vegeta spoke again, in barely a whisper, "Do not let your son's death be for nothing."

He nodded wordlessly. He needn't say anymore, the two saiyan's understood each other. Goku wasn't sure whether or not it was by some primal instinct that their ancestors shared upon the battle field, when there was no time for words and formalities. It was a fight to the death. And he and Vegeta knew it.

Goku silently made his way over to Piccolo, who was still frozen in place.

"Come on Piccolo, we need to leave," he said, as the Namekian allowed him to help him to his feet.

His skin looked paler, if that was at all possible, and his eyes glazed over. The Majin symbol had long since faded on his forehead, the wizard's curse broken.

Piccolo stumbled slightly, but Goku was able to support his weight. "I-I have to fight," Piccolo gasped, "For G-Gohan."

A pang rippled through the saiyan's chest, following his old rival's gaze to his son's body.

"W-we have to go Piccolo," he choked, attempting to stay strong, "You and I both know your too weak to fight right now."

"But Vegeta, he-"

"Vegeta's got this one," he said solemnly, "Come on, Dende will heal us up."

Making sure Piccolo could fly on his own, he watched his friend lift into the sky before looking back at Gohan's crumpled form. Quickly making his decision, he told his friend to wait, before making his way over to the body.

He almost immediately regretted it.

It was worse up close, Gohan's head was tilted backwards, pain seemed to be frozen onto his features. His eyes wide open and empty, blood ran down his chin and dropped onto his bruised and broken neck. Parts of his throat were sunken inwards, owing to the fact that his windpipe was obviously crushed. His skin was devoid of any colour, his lips beginning to turn blue and dark bags framing his eyes. He looked as though he had been through a lot, with several other cuts and bruises littering his body, along with a nasty gash upon his left leg that had already begun to rot.

With a deep breath, Goku closed his son's eyes before picking him up in his arms, he couldn't bare to look at those lifeless orbs anymore. It was torturous, his body was still warm, giving him the deceiving impression that the teenager was still alive.

He joined Piccolo in the sky, who abruptly turned away.

"YOU! YOU FIGHT BUU!" came a horrible screeching voice.

"Yes! Your fight is with me, Majin Buu!" Vegeta roared, averting Buu's attention away from them, "I'm going to crush you and throw you into the wind!"

Suddenly, Vegeta's energy began to spike, rapidly, dangerously-

"Goku we need to move!" Piccolo yelled, snapping out of his stupor, "NOW!"

Goku took one last look at his comrade, he had never felt so helpless in his entire life. He had allowed it, both of them; Gohan and Vegeta, to die.

Clutching his dead son closer to his chest, Goku took off just behind Piccolo, trying not to pay attention to Vegeta's cry nor the blinding flash of light that engulfed the island. The ocean rippled beneath them, as a heavy gale of wind pushed them forwards. The force of Vegeta's energy shaking the entire planet.

It was too much, Vegeta's power spiked to incredible limits as a dome of energy flooded the island. Goku gasped as he distantly heard the prince's almighty roar.

"Vegeta!" he cried, although he knew his friend could not hear him, he knew there was nothing he could do.

Piccolo covered his face with his arms, his white cloak whipping around him from the force of the blast. Then, it was over, Majin Buu's energy had vanished. Though, according to Vegeta, the fight was not over yet.

"He's gone," was all Piccolo mustered as shockwaves from the blast washed over them

Goku said nothing, instead, he floated back over the planes - or what was left of them.

"Goku?" The Namekian called, as the saiyan landed swiftly in the crater that had been left in Vegeta's wake.

He wanted to take the body back to Bulma, that is, if there was anything left.

Goku sighed, his eyes unable to detect any movement, when a spark of Ki tickled his senses. With a sharp gasp, the deceased warrior turned on his heel, spotting Vegeta's glove poking out of the ground.

It seemed that Piccolo had sensed it too, as he quickly landed in the crater, pulling Vegeta roughly out of the rubble. The prince was barely breathing, his spandex suit almost completely burned off and his body smoking and broken.

"We need to get him to Dende!" Piccolo shouted abruptly.

Goku jumped over to them hurriedly, motioning for the Namekian to place his hand on his shoulder. Making sure that Piccolo had a firm grip on the fallen prince, Goku locked onto Dende's energy and in an instant, they were gone.

Gohan's long messy hair tickled his face as they appeared on the edge of the Lookout, the gentle breeze blew between them, it was almost too peaceful.

"Goku! Goku what happened?!"

The saiyan span around, he had completely forgotten about the others, the shock of Gohan's death getting to him.

He didn't expect them all to be here. Then he remembered that he had instructed Goten and Trunks to get everyone to safety. He didn't want Chi-Chi to be here, he didn't want her to see their son like this. And what about Goten and Gokuto? Vegeta had said that Krillin had taken the boys to The Lookout. His stomach dropped as his friends looked towards him in relief.

"Goku, you're back!" Krillin exclaimed, causing everyone to look at the battle torn foursome.

Goku's throat ran dry, and for the first time in his life, he had no idea what to say to make it all better.

The gang had always looked towards him as their unofficial leader, he had given almost every one of them a second chance at leading a good life. He was their saviour, the person they looked to when everything went wrong. But all the saiyan could do was stand wordlessly next to Piccolo, the weight of his son's lifeless form laying heavily in his arms.

Yet there was a pair of sapphire eyes that met his. Videl.

He frowned, he wondered what she was doing here? He remembered seeing her aghast expression at the sidelines of the ring before he rushed to stop Gohan from chasing down Spopovich and Yamu alone. She was staring at him from Bulma's side. Her eyes travelled to Gohan's body, a lone tear trickled down her cheek.

She knew, Videl knew.

"Gohan!" Dende cried frantically, running over to his friend so fast that he nearly tripped on his robes, "Oh dear, here Goku let me heal him, let me-"

The young Namekian stopped short, as soon as he got close to the teenager. His dark eyes widened, realising that Gohan was emitting no life energy, "N-no, Goku, don't tell me he's-"

Both Goku and Piccolo dipped their heads, causing the teenager to step back in horror. Dende attempted to swallow the large lump in his throat, failing to fight the tears that were brimming in his eyes. They escaped freely down his cheeks, as he hurriedly tried to regain his composure and turned towards healing Vegeta.

Goku carefully placed the lifeless boy on the ground, as the glow from Dende's healing hands illuminated the marble tiles.

"NO!" Chi-Chi's screams echoed over the Lookout as she ran towards them, along with the collective gasp from the horror stricken Z-Fighters, realisation hitting them like a ton of bricks.

His wife crumpled to her knees, gathering up their son's head in her arms, brushing the hair out of his face and clutching him to her heart.

"My baby! No, please! Not Gohan, not Gohan," she muttered, over and over as she sobbed.

Ox-King placed an enormous hand on her shoulder, tears rolling down his cheeks as he stared at his grandson.

"Where were you?!" Chi-Chi snapped at her husband, "Why weren't you protecting him?!"

Goku closed his eyes tightly, struggling to keep his own tears at bay.

He slowly opened them, taking a shuddering breath as he looked towards his distraught wife. The ox-princess shook her head at him, turning her focus to cradling the teenager. What ever he had to say, she didn't want to hear it.

He instead averted his gaze to his friends, the Z-Fighters were beyond words, they just stared at Gohan's body, hardly believing their eyes. They were all experienced enough to know how he died, he was thankful that Chi-Chi wasn't as acute to battle injuries.

"Goku," said Krillin, blinking back tears as his wife clasped hold of his hand, Eighteen clutching a hand to her chest, "W-what happened? Did Majin Buu -?"

"Yes," Piccolo stated gruffly, his eyes still fixed on Gohan, "I'm sorry."

"D-did he do that to Vegeta too?" came Bulma's desperate sobs, her gaze flickering from the deceased teenager to her husband.

Goku lowered his head, as the heiress sobbed into a blonde-haired Launch's shoulder.

"W-what are we gonna do?" asked Yamcha to no one in particular, "Gohan and Vegeta, what kind of monster can defeat those two?!"

"I don't know, but between Buu, that Frieza look-alike and her cronies, how can we stop them?" Tien seethed, a haunted look in his eyes.

"Frieza? And wait did you just say Buu?" Goku suddenly interjected, confused.

His friends stared at him, but it was a solemn Master Roshi that spoke. The old master grasped his wooden staff, his sunglasses glinting in the sunlight.

"Goku," he said seriously, "Majin Buu is still alive. Can't you sense it?"

It was as if someone had turned on a light. As his old master's words sunk in he could immediately feel the monsters presence. Goku's heart pounded uncomfortably in his ribcage, he had been so focused on Gohan that he hadn't even noticed the overbearingly dark energy of the Majin that seemed to tower over the Earth.

Piccolo took a sharp intake of breath behind him. Goku lowered his head, ashamed, it was partly his fault that the monster had been released in the first place.

"This is bad! Really bad!" panicked Yamcha,

Distraught chatter erupted between the Z-fighters, how on Earth were they going to stop this thing?

There was a shuffle behind him, and Goku was surprised to see Videl standing next to him. Chi-Chi stopped sobbing, as, slowly, the girl kneeled next to their son. Silent tears dripped from her eyes as she brushed her hand through his ebony hair.

"You idiot," she whispered so that Goku could barely hear her, "You can't be gone, I-I…"

Goku blinked, as Mister Satan's daughter cut herself short, and pressed her lips to his son's temple.

He hadn't realised that she felt that way about him. Goku thought that they were just two teenager's fooling around, and that didn't surprise him due to all the stories of Gohan's teenage rebellion he had heard over the last couple of days.

His son had certainly developed an attitude, and an … individual sense of style since the last time he saw him. Gohan certainly wasn't the little boy he had left behind. He had even dealt with the boy's backlash over the period of the tournament, and wasn't all too pleased with that hardened look in his eyes. It was the same look he had when he transformed in a fit of blinding rage during the Cell Games.

Yet he still saw some of his son's old, carefree self when he was with Gokuto and Goten, and even Goku had noticed the sudden grown-up change in him when he was around Videl. He wondered if the teenager reciprocated Videl's feelings.

If only he would open his eyes and let them know.

A sob escaped his wife, as she pulled the tearful girl into a hug, "Oh Videl!"

"Your devotion to him is really great Videl," he found himself saying.

"T-thank you sir," she blushed.

"We should move him, him and Vegeta while he rests," said Krillin sadly, and it was only then did Goku realise the gang were watching them, "We should do it before Goten and Trunks see, their asleep in Kami's throne room right now. Vegeta was right, they really were difficult to knock out! You should have seen them, two little super saiyan's racing to fight Buu!"

Goku sighed, "I don't know what I'm going to say to them. Poor kids, poor Gokuto."

"That reminds me, where is Gokuto?" his best friend asked, looking between him and Piccolo.

The saiyan frowned, "Isn't he with you?"

But before Krillin could reply, a white, blinding light glowed around Gohan's body, a light hum filling the air.

"W-what, what's happening?!" Videl yelled in surprise, although the Z-gang looked on knowingly.

"We should have known," Yamcha chuckled sadly, before turning to the young girl, "When someone dies, they pass over to the Otherworld, and some, very lucky people, who have done a great deed in their lives get to keep their bodies – like Goku here."

Goku offered her a small smile.

"Gohan wasn't just The Gold Fighter," she said slowly, her sapphire gaze looking over them, "he defeated Cell didn't he? He was the one that saved the world."

"I doubt the universe would still be standing if it weren't for Gohan," Krillin informed her proudly, "Sorry your Dad lied to you. But how did you figure out Gohan's secret? Did you see him transform?"

Videl smiled sadly, "I did, though I figured it out before then, lets just say Gohan wasn't as careful as he thought he was being about his secret identity. As for my dad, I always thought there was something odd about how he could be capable of that kind of power, especially after seeing what you lot can do. When you all raced off after Gokuto earlier, I went to find Chi-Chi to get the whole story. Thank you for letting me come by the way."

"That's quite alright dear," said Chi-Chi, "but I can't even begin to explain to you the mess my son has managed to drag you in on."

"That's our Gohan," chuckled Yamcha, "He was always one to keep things interesting."

"Yeah," laughed Krillin, before turning to him, "Funny though Goku, I seem to remember your body just fading away when you died the first time."

Videl blinked, "Wait, the _firs_ t time?"

"Work of the Kai's no doubt," Piccolo smirked, "I don't sense The Supreme Kai or Kibito. My guess is that they're behind this."

At his words, the light brightened, engulfing Gohan's body completely, before he disappeared.

Videl gasped, placing her palm on the bloodied tile where the teenager used to be.

Goku couldn't help but smile, he had a feeling that whatever the Kai's were planning would be revealed soon, and he would get to see his son's cheeky grin again.

For now though, a battle was underway, and he had a few tricks up his sleeve that was sure to even the odds once Goten and Trunks woke up.

With the thought of the two young boys in his mind, he frowned, just where the bloody hell was Gokuto?

 **xxxx**

When Gohan opened his eyes, he was met with the strangest scene he had ever come across in his life, and that was saying something. He was standing on a long, winding pathway, surrounded by fluffy yellow clouds that nearly filled a purple sky.

In front of him, was what resembled a temple, complete with a thatched roof and large wooden doors. Gohan blinked, he felt like he should know this place, but how could he? He had never been here before-

"OI!" came a squeak from behind him, "You're holding up the line!"

Gohan turned, and nearly fell over when he realised a little white cloud was talking to him. And there were thousands of them, all lining up for miles and miles on the snake-like pathway.

The young saiyan blinked in realisation, he was on Snake-Way. He was dead.

Shit.

"Are you gonna move or what kid?!"

Gohan growled back at the soul, before marching into the temple. He couldn't believe this! Now his family were and friends were stuck fighting that monster. Majin Buu's power was great enough to wipe out entire planets in an instant according to the Supreme Kai. Not to mention there was Checha and Ize to contend with. What about all the people he cared about on Earth? The rest of the Z-gang, Bulma, Lime, Mister Lao, Videl -

His stomach dropped.

Gokuto.

He had left his little boy all alone, he prayed to Kami that he had gotten away safe. He had to find a way back, he couldn't be dead, he was only seventeen! His son needed him! His father and Piccolo were probably hurt, Vegeta and Supreme Kai too.

Damn it all, he wished he hadn't have been so powerless to stop the monster from hatching!

In his frustration, Gohan barely noticed he was standing in front of a gigantic wooden desk, surrounded by blue-skinned ogres that were looking at him in shock. He didn't even realise his name was being called, until an impatient voice boomed around him-

"SON GOHAN?!"

"Yeah whose askin'?" Gohan snapped, before realising he was being glared at by an enormous red-skinned man, dressed in a violet suit and horned hat.

The young saiyan's eyes widened, he had heard about this man from his father's stories of Otherworld before, it was King Yemma.

Yep, he was officially dead.

"Humph," King Yemma scoffed, "I didn't know Goku's boy was such a punk."

Gohan folded his arms across his chest in annoyance, "So I've been told."

Yemma sighed, flipping through large pages on his desk, that the young saiyan guessed were his records.

"Son Gohan of Earth," he read out loud, "Half Saiyan, half Earthling; son to Kakarot of Vegeta and Chi-Chi of Earth and father to Gokuto." The man eyed him sceptically, "Destroyer of Cell. Ah, so that's how you were able to keep your body."

Destroyer of Cell? Huh, well at least it was better than Delivery Boy, Gohan mused.

" _He_ destroyed Cell?!" a speckled ogre squeaked next to him.

"Doesn't look that strong to me," another quipped.

Gohan rolled his eyes, "Can you just hurry up and judge me already? I haven't got time for this."

"Oh?" King Yemma said in amusement, "Somewhere pressing to be now that you're dead?"

Several of the ogre's giggled.

"Yeah actually, I've got to get back to Earth," he replied.

Yemma let out a roar of laughter, along with several of his attendants, "And just how do you expect to do that?"

The teenager scowled.

"I thought so," said the King, "Now back to business… ah yes, destroyed cell…blah blah blah, hmm not many sins to name apart from a _ghastly_ streak of rebellion…"

"Ugh, you sound like my mother," Gohan drawled.

"…died at age seventeen years and eleven months, broken neck and suffocation by the hands of Majin Buu," he read, licking his thumb and flicking over the page when he stopped, his beetle black eyes widening.

"BUU?!" he shrieked.

And suddenly, the whole temple was in uproar.

Yemma knocked over his enormous pile of papers, sending them toppling to the floor in a heap. The room shook from his mighty bellow, and Gohan barely had time to dodge out of the way as the contents of his desk nearly landed on him. Ogre's screamed and ran, some even held on to each other and started to sob uncontrollably.

"Buu is back?!" Yemma cried, aghast.

"Well, yeah…" Gohan said sarcastically, "Pretty sure it wasn't a cackling piece of pink bubblegum that snapped my neck."

"This is no laughing matter _boy_!" he bellowed, placing his head in his hands as he started to mutter, "Oh no no, this cannot be, I'll never get a holiday if Buu has been let loose again. Oh the paperwork! No, this has to be some sort of joke, Buu can't be back…"

"I'm afraid it's true my dear King Yemma."

"ARGH!" Both Gohan and Yemma yelled at once.

The young saiyan gripped his chest in shock, although his heart was no longer beating, just how long had they been standing there for?!

"Supreme Kai!" Yemma cried, bowing his enormous head in respect, "Forgive me, I did not see you come in."

"There is no need for formalities Yemma," the Kai said with a smile.

Gohan noticed Shin was fully healed now, his robes as immaculate as ever as Kibito stood next to him in the same condition. A thought crossed the young saiyan's mind, and before he knew it, he had stormed towards the Kai and grabbed him by the front of his robes, much to the shock of everyone present.

"Why the sodding _hell_ aren't you still on Earth?!" Gohan roared, causing the Kai to flinch, "What are you doing bumming around up here when my friends and family are fighting that lunatic?!"

"Unhand him at once!" Yemma yelled, the ogres looking on terrified, "You will show some respect!"

"My _son_ is down there!" Gohan growled at the Kai, his eyes flashing green, "I swear, if one _hair_ on his tail is out of place I'm gonna-"

"You will do nothing!" Kibito roared, attempting to pull the enraged halfling off his master, "Get your filthy paws off him you ruffian!"

Gohan ignored him, clenching his teeth to stop himself from transforming. His white aura exploded around him, sending ogres flying away from him and the roof to shake from the force, "This is all your fault! Gokuto should have never been involved in the first place! You should have let me go after him, you should have stopped them!"

Supreme Kai said nothing, instead, he raised an arm, snapping his fingers so that Gohan was suddenly blown backwards by an almighty force, skidding across the temple and hitting the opposite wall.

"Forgive me Gohan," he said, as the young saiyan sat shocked upon the floor, "Your son's kidnapping is on the list of the many mistakes I have made today. But I need you to work with me Gohan, to ensure his safety, along with the safety of the entire universe."

The teenager frowned, clambering to his feet as he stared at the Kai, "You'd better start explaining what the hell's going on…"

"Enough of your tongue!" Kibito snapped.

"It's alright Kibito," Supreme Kai soothed, "Our young friend has every right to be angry. Gohan, if you come with me to our sacred realm, I am willing to explain everything there."

"What realm?" he replied sceptically, "I've never heard of any sacred realm, Dad's never mentioned it."

"Ah but he never mentioned me either did he?" The Kai smiled, "Only a select few are permitted access to the realm of the Kai's, as I am sure you will find out why in due time."

Gohan frowned, biting his lip in thought, "Alright fine, I'll go. But you'd better start explaining the second we get there."

"Of course," he smiled, gesturing the young saiyan towards him.

"Supreme Kai sir, you can't be serious!" spluttered Yemma, who had been watching the scene unfold, "I know he's Goku's boy, but – "

"I believe you have some paperwork to organise King Yemma," Supreme Kai answered coolly, to Gohan's astonishment, "I expect there will soon be a rush from the Northern galaxy."

If Yemma didn't have red skin, Gohan was certain that he would be blushing, "Oh, o-of course, sir. Pardon me."

The Kai smiled and grasped the halfling by the shoulder, and with a nod to Kibito, Gohan felt an odd twisting sensation in his navel, before they reappeared on a lush green planet.

"Welcome to our home Gohan," said Supreme Kai, "This is our most sacred world."

Gohan could see why it was just that. It sort of looked like Earth, except with a deep violet sky and many other planets dotted around it. There was no breeze and fields of emerald grass seemed to stretch for miles. A colourful array of flowers grew by a sparkling clear spring, and what looked like an ancient temple stood proudly overlooking the planet amongst a midst of rolling hills.

"Woah," was all he could muster, casting his gaze up to the bright sky, "What _is_ this place?"

"The sacred world of the Kai's," Kibito stated bluntly, "It wouldn't hurt for you to _pay attention_."

"Kibito…" the Kai warned.

"Master, I cannot fathom why you have brought him here," the attendant continued, "No mere mortal has ever set foot on these sacred grounds, not even the Grand Kai himself and – are you s _moking_?!"

"What?" shrugged Gohan, taking another puff of his cigarette, "It's been a long day and I found them in my pocket."

At once, Kibito ripped it out of his hands and disintegrated it with a flick of his wrist, "You WILL show more respect _boy_!"

"Whatever," Gohan said as he picked out another cigarette and lit it. Kibito seethed.

"Gohan," Supreme Kai said gently, "I'm sure you are wondering why I have brought you here."

"Oh yeah, go ahead," he said, sitting himself on the ground and crossing his legs.

The Kai cleared his throat, "Well Gohan, as you know the situation on Earth is very grave."

"No pun intended right?" he snorted, pointing up at his halo.

Supreme Kai chuckled, "Quite. First of all, I sense your son is alive and well, I have no doubt your friends have seen to retrieve him."

The teenager breathed a sigh of relief.

"Though we must act without hesitation," he continued, "I'm afraid that this whole mess with Majin Buu's revival is a lot worse than I could have predicted. As soon as I realised that Babidi had teamed up with Ize, I knew that we were in dire straits."

"Who is she anyway?" Gohan frowned, "She looked like Frieza, and Vegeta seemed to know her, said something about her being Frieza's cousin."

"Vegeta would be correct. There has been whispers throughout the galaxy of her and Babidi using their combined warriors to seek out Majin Buu, and gather enough energy to release him," he explained, "I was not surprised when Ize killed Babidi, as she is far more powerful and manipulative than he. Yet I think that like her cousin she overestimates her power. The wizard's controlling spell his not enough, Majin Buu is rogue and will soon turn on her, no one has ever been able to control that monster."

"So you're saying that people other than Babidi and his dad have tried to unleash Buu before?" he asked in disbelief, "are they crazy?!"

The Kai sighed heavily, "Gohan, what you must understand is that there are two forces in this universe that strive to maintain a balance between destruction and creation."

The teenager stared at him blankly, forcing the Kai to continue.

"Trillions of years ago, the universe was created," he explained, "Eight superior beings were tasked with the duty of the maintaining that balance. Four Gods of creation surfaced, along with four Gods of destruction - Buu was one of them."

Gohan's eyes widened, "You're telling me Buu is a God?!"

"The most powerful of destroyer Gods," he reminisced, "You must see Gohan, a God of destruction is much more powerful than a God of creation, hence why they tend to live their existence through cycles of hibernation and destruction whilst a Kai like me is able to carry out my duties with much more flexibility. Billions of years ago, before even I was created, Buu grew in power, each time he came out of hibernation, he became more corrupt, developing a blindness towards his duties that soon turned into insanity. Because of this, the balance of the universe couldn't be maintained, Buu destroying half of the universe before any Kai could create more life. It was decided by The Grand Supreme Kai, who was tasked with overseeing that balance, that Buu be put into hibernation for good."

The young saiyan let out a low whistle, "That is bloody mental."

"Indeed," Supreme Kai replied gravely, "it took the combined strength of the Gods to take Buu down and seal him, but what those ancient Gods didn't count on was Bibidi, the evil wizard was hell bent on controlling the universe, and what better way to defeat the Gods than to unleash the greatest destroyer that the universe has ever known? You can see why Majin magic is so powerful."

"Bibidi succeeded in unleashing the beast," he continued, "My fellow Kai's and I tried to fight him off, but alas, I, as the Supreme Kai of the Eastern province at the time, barely managed to escape with my life after that dreadful battle. North, South, West and even Grand Supreme were all brutally murdered."

"What about the destruction Gods?" Gohan blurted, "Couldn't they have helped you?"

The Kai's features suddenly hardened, "It is not easy to awaken a God of Destruction when they are in hibernation, and I was young and foolish enough to try to solve the mess by myself for many years. Decades later, the newly dubbed Majin Buu had destroyed millions of homes and planets, and it was only in the midst of an epic battle when I finally came to my senses and sort help."

The teen gulped, he didn't like where this was going.

"Buu was finally managed to be sealed away again after a difficult battle. Now, only one destroyer God remains, along with his attendant," he explained, heaving a heavy sigh, "Majin Buu is a very powerful being, so you see now why Babidi and Ize were so eager to unleash him."

Gohan stared, his mind whirring, "So Babidi and Ize were friends? I don't get why they would work together."

"Gohan, you are familiar with the Planet Trade Organisation?" he asked.

The halfling nodded, "Of course, that was Frieza's family's empire."

"Not all of it," said Supreme Kai, "There was another organisation, known as the Warrior Trade Organisation, which was headed by Ize's father Lord Frore, who was King Cold's younger brother."

The young saiyan's eyes widened, "But I've never heard of it."

"Humph, not surprising," Kibito muttered, causing Gohan to scowl.

"The Warrior Trade was a lot smaller Gohan," continued the Kai, "but it worked similarly to King Cold's empire. They would wipe out countless lives and strike up wars all over the universe, but instead of conquering planets, they conquered warriors. They either forced them to join up or they did so willingly, terrified of the Frost Demon's rule. Checha was once one of those warriors, the rest of his race wiped out before he joined up. Eventually, Frore's army grew too powerful for Cold's liking, so he killed Frore and the warrior trade disbanded."

"But what does that have to do with Babidi?" asked the teen, the whole story was giving him a headache.

"Babidi knew that he could gather enough man power and the right amount of energy to seek out Buu," he said, "He sought out King Cold and asked to used his brothers old organisation. Of course, Cold, being too proud, refused to admit that his brother's army was worthier than his and declined to help Babidi."

"Figures," huffed Gohan.

"Ize, at the time was living under Cold's rule and must have heard the conversation between her uncle and Babidi. So she struck up a deal with the wizard, my guess is for the same reason of ruling the universe, and also to escape her uncle's clutches. With her father long dead, she took over the Warrior Trade and gathered enough intel to help Babidi find Buu-"

"Only for her to take control of Buu herself," Gohan finished, letting out a loud whistle, "Wow that's some pretty mental stuff. But what do they want with Gokuto? He's just a baby!"

"I can't be one hundred percent certain," The Kai nodded solemnly, "Ize and her minions are very clever and manipulative. It seems as though they have taken interest in Gokuto just as Babidi did, it is possible that she may want to enlist him into her Warrior Trade because of his potential. Alas, the story goes much deeper than that Gohan, although I won't get into that right now. Once Majin Buu had appeared, I knew I had to retreat, in order to prepare for your arrival."

"What?! You knew I was going to die!?" Gohan yelled, aghast, "Well, thanks for the heads up!"

"Do not question the ways of the Supreme Kai!" growled Kibito.

"I'll question him however much I want to, he's a bloody nutcase!" roared the halfling.

"Why you, disrespectful- you little-!" Kibito spluttered, before they were silenced by the Kai.

"Gohan, I did not intend for you to die," he said somewhat sadly, "I made some arrangements so that you would be able to come here as a mortal, and would have returned to retrieve you. Although I dare say that in your current state of power, your death would have been unpreventable."

"What are you on about? And what do you mean by my current state?" the teenager frowned, none of this made any sense.

"Majin Buu is at a level that you could not even begin to comprehend. Not even the combined efforts of your father, Vegeta, Piccolo and the rest of your friends would be enough to kill that monster," the Kai explained, "Therefore Gohan, I have brought you here because I believe that you are the only one who has the potential to defeat Buu."

"Me?!" the teenager cried, astonished, "You want _me_ to defeat a magical ancient destroyer God that has been around since the dawn of time?!"

The Supreme Kai smiled knowingly, "I was not over exaggerating when I said that your fight with Cell seven years ago was felt across the cosmos. Your power is indeed extraordinary Gohan, something that I believe will be mighty enough to challenge even a being like Buu. Yes, from what I've seen so far, you saiyan hybrid's are certainly a commodity."

Gohan's eyes widened, "But you just said that in my current state I'm useless, what makes you think that I can defeat Buu now that I'm dead?"

Supreme Kai grinned, "That's simple Gohan, the Z-Sword."

"Huh?"

"Master! You cannot be serious!" Kibito gasped, the teenager was sure the man was about to keel over, " _The_ Z-Sword?! Not even the Kai's, including yourself, have managed to retrieve the sword from its rocky prison! What makes you think that this stupid boy is able to free it?!"

The young saiyan glared at the bodyguard, "Okay, what the bloody hell is a Z-Sword?"

"The legend of the Z-Sword is too great for your puny mortal mind to comprehend!" Kibito roared at the halfling before turning his attention to his superior, "Master, please reconsider-"

He was silenced by Supreme Kai holding up his hand, "The Z-Sword Gohan, is a very powerful object, crafted by the ancient Gods themselves and the only way I believe Buu can possibly be defeated once and for all. Granted, many have tried to use this method before, but no one has managed to retrieve it from the stone it is imprisoned in."

"So you want me to use a sword?" asked Gohan, his eyes wide, "and defeat Buu?!"

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm asking of you," he replied calmly.

The young saiyan could hardly believe his ears.

"But what makes you think I can?"

"Yes Master, I am also intrigued," said Kibito, shooting the teenager a glare.

"Gohan has enormous strengths deep within him, strengths that I have had the honour of witnessing glimpses of today," the Kai explained.

"What?!" Kibito argued, "All I have seen of this - this _child_ is his complete disregard for authority, he is whiney; hot-headed, reckless-"

"And completely perfect for this task," the Supreme Kai finished, his eyes twinkling at the halfling, "have faith Kibito, Gohan has overcome near impossible feats before in his life and has proven himself a true warrior. He is indeed, our best hope."

Silence engulfed them, as doubt filled the young saiyan, "S-supreme Kai, I don't think I'm the right person, you heard what Vegeta and the other's were saying earlier. I'm too weak. I think you've made a mistake."

The Kai shook his head, smiling at the teenager, "Let's see shall we? Come Gohan, follow me."

 _I know, I killed Gohan! :O! Thought it would make a much more dramatic twist to the story rather than him just being whisked off the the Kai's realm. Plus, it makes for a good character building on Goku's part. Oh! The feels!_


	33. The Terror of Majin Buu

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

 **The Terror of Majin Buu**

 **xxxx**

"So, I just pull it out?"

"That's correct Gohan, it seems simple yes, but no one has ever managed to even creak the sword out of place since its imprisonment millions of years ago. If you do this Gohan, I am positive that the universe will be rid of Buu once and for all," the Supreme Kai explained, standing next to an irritated Kibito.

Gohan snorted, "So no pressure then?"

With no response from the deity's, the teenager sighed, preparing himself by shuffling his feet shoulder width apart in a strong stance.

To say the day had taken a sudden dramatic turn was an understatement. Just this morning he was busy scolding his two year old who had thrown strawberry jam up the walls, and now here he was, standing atop of an enormous cliff face on a sacred planet about to pull out an ancient sword from it's stony prison and attempt to save the universe.

Oh how the mighty had fallen.

Gohan could already feel the power radiating from the sword, he was almost drawn to it even. The hilt of the Z-Sword glinted in the sunlight as the teenager grasped hold of it, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest.

"Don't look so worried young one," Kibito chortled, "You can't free it."

"Hush Kibito," The Supreme Kai scolded, "We've all had our chance, now let Gohan have his."

Sticking out his tongue childishly at him, the young saiyan grasped tightly onto the hilt once more, before turning to the Kai, "Er, question?"

"Yes Gohan?"

"What's actually supposed to happen once I free the sword? Is it powerful enough just to chop Buu into itty bitty tiny pieces?" he asked.

"Heavens no," the Kai smiled in amusement, "Legend has it that the sword draws on its masters deepest hidden powers, the two become one weapon, capable of cutting down the mightiest of foes."

"Oh wow," blinked the young saiyan, "Sounds like this little bastard's really sharp!"

"If you're ready," urged the Kai.

Gohan nodded, and ignoring Kibito's smug smirk, steadied himself before pulling hard on the sword. The young saiyan was surprised at just how tightly it was wedged in the rock. He pulled and pulled, his face turning beetroot red from straining, his boots digging so deep into the cliff face that he started to kick up dirt until -

 **BAM**

He slipped, landing with a hard thud on his backside and causing Kibito to roar with laughter.

"Shut up!" Gohan growled, rubbing his sore behind, "That was just a practice run!"

"Whatever you say, halfling," snorted Kibito.

"Please Kibito control yourself," sighed Shin, "Gohan, would you like to try again? And remember, you _can_ do this."

More determined this time, the young saiyan immediately erupted into his super saiyan form, his golden aura igniting around his frame. His tail waved behind him in anticipation, as he grabbed onto the hilt once more.

"Tch, not even your super saiyan strength will be enough…" Kibito warned him, but the teenager didn't listen.

Instead, Gohan focussed all of his power into the sword, pulling with all his might as he pushed his power upwards. The rock around him began to tremble, the riverbeds of the planet began to shake as the young saiyan let out an almighty roar, sparks of electricity licking at his frame as he ascended. Violent winds picked up around him as Shin and Kibito ducked for cover.

And with one more aggressive pull, was the Z-Sword finally free.

"Gohan you did it!" The Supreme Kai cried as the cliff face descended into rubble.

"The Z-Sword is _free_?!" Kibito yelled in astonishment as the deity's floated in mid air, staring in awe of the halfling.

The young super saiyan panted, his arms weighed down heavily by the sheer weight of the sword, but he held a triumphant grin upon his features.

"Fantastic Gohan," said the purple skinned God when they had moved to a more less-destroyed place, "How does it feel?"

"Heavy!" The teen laughed.

"Insolent boy!" Kibito roared, "Do you not realise the power that lies within your grasp?! Have you no respect?!"

"Keep your thong on big guy," Gohan said with a roll of his eyes, "It really is heavy!"

"Then you will have to train with it Gohan," said Shin, ignoring his assistants growls of contempt, "You must master the power of the Z-Sword, only then will you be able to stand up to Buu. But first, we must do something about your clothes…"

"Whats wrong with this?" the young saiyan asked sceptically, gesturing to his torn gi bottoms and bare chest.

"I don't even know where to begin…" said Kibito, forlorn.

"Well I think its only fitting that if you are to be trained by Gods, then you must look like one," the Kai smiled.

"I have to wear a dress?" Gohan grimaced.

" _Robes_ Gohan," corrected Shin, "But do not fret, I have something in mind that I think you'll like. Kibito?"

The red skinned man sighed, "As you wish, Master."

There was a flash of blinding light that obscured the young saiyan's vision, but sure enough when it had subsided, was Gohan looking a whole lot more like a warrior of the Kai's.

He was dressed in white gi trousers and red boots, with a long sleeveless purple cloak complete with golden buttons. It was left open at the chest, displaying his muscular torso and tattoos. There was a long red sash tucked into the left pocket, should he wish to tie his cloak.

After the teen had thoroughly checked out his reflection in a nearby lake, he grinned.

"Woah, this is actually pretty cool!"

"I'm glad you like it Gohan," said the Kai, "Now, shall we begin our training?"

"Yeah let's do it," said Gohan, feeling a little more confident, "I actually know a bit about swordsmanship, Piccolo taught me some moves when I was like four."

"Well now, isn't that a great start Kibito?" beamed Shin.

"Hn."

"Why don't you try giving it a swing Gohan?" he urged, "Get the feel for the blade."

Focussing his strength, the young saiyan clumsily lifted the heavy sword onto his shoulder. Sticking his tongue out in concentration, the hefty blade causing his muscles to ache already, the teenager growled, giving the sword an almighty swipe through the air -

"Whoops!" Gohan cringed as he lost his grasp, and the Z-Sword slipped through his fighters, hurtling through the air.

Shin and Kibito shrieked, hurriedly ducking out of the way just to see the sword whistling through the skies towards the twisting cliff face. There was a resounding crash, as dust and debris rained down upon the aghast trio.

"Sorry," winced the teenager, "Guess I don't know my own strength!"

"NOOOO! THE SACRED TEMPLE! DESTROYED! DESTROYED!" Kibito cried in horror.

"Well I said I was sorry…

The Supreme Kai sighed in defeat, placing his head in his hands as Kibito began to chase Gohan around the scared planes, cursing him as he went.

This was going to be a loooooooooong training session.

 **xxxx**

Piccolo stood at the edge of The Lookout, far away from the others who were conversing in the temple. The Namekian stood tall and stoic, his long cloak waving gently in the breeze. The sun still shone brightly over the marble tiles, despite the terror that was sweeping the Earth below.

Majin Buu had begun his rampage, and he could feel city after city dwindling away, masses of life energies being extinguished, whilst all they could do was hide, helpless as they tried to think up their next move. Piccolo's usual, calm mind was whirring, although Babidi's spell had been severed. He had given into the desires that he had pushed to the back of his mind long ago, and for what?

Gohan was dead.

The very person that had managed to worm his way into his closeted heart and latch on for dear life was gone. And Piccolo couldn't help but blame himself. If he hadn't been so unbearably _weak_ perhaps he could of protected him. Even Vegeta had managed to fight the wizard's control. And now Gokuto was missing, he couldn't even protect Gohan's only son.

It was all a terrible mess.

A gentle scuffle of boots behind him made Piccolo jump out of his thoughts. He did not turn around however, he knew of only one person that would dare to approach him right now.

"Shouldn't you be comforting your wife?" said Piccolo gruffly, his gaze cast towards the Earth below.

"She's sleeping," Goku replied somewhat heavily, taking his place next to the Namekian.

The two warriors stood in silence, as a breeze gently washed over them. Piccolo started to get irritated after a while, Goku's presence was irking him, he wasn't sure what exactly he was doing here with him, he should be with his family.

Goten and Trunks had woken up about an hour after they had returned to The Lookout, and once again Goku had proven useless at delivering the news. Piccolo couldn't bare the devastated screams of the little boys when they had found out that their big brother was gone, and how they tried so desperately to escape when they were told that Gokuto was nowhere to be seen. Chi-Chi and Bulma had comforted them for a time before falling to sleep themselves.

Piccolo was about to ask him just what the hell he wanted, when the saiyan cut across him.

"I failed him Piccolo."

He stared, as Goku's voice came out as barely a whisper. He raised his brow, tilting his head to get a look at the man. Never, had he seen Goku look more defeated than he did now. His usual bright eyes were full of tears. He had a haunting look to his features as he lifted his head towards him.

"We all did," Piccolo breathed, his chest feeling heavy.

What he wouldn't give to hear Gohan's laughter reverberate off the marble tiles once more, jumping out behind the temple and laughing his ass off, boastfully exclaiming how he'd tricked them all.

Piccolo had half the mind to go searching for the dragonballs, using just one wish to get his friend back. But he knew that would be selfish at this time, they needed the wishes for all the death and destruction that was happening on Earth, and possibly a wish to use the Namekian dragonballs if the situation got any worse.

Majin Buu's crippling energy towered over the planet, assaulting every part of his senses, along with the dark energies of Ize and her cronies. They darted around the planet, on the search for Gokuto, but Piccolo wasn't entirely sure if he was thankful that he couldn't sense the young boy. He knew Gohan would be going spare, and would waste no time in throwing caution to the wind in order to find his son.

And yet, what was he doing? Standing hopelessly miles above the Earth, helpless as he attempted to regain some energy from his and Goku's fight. It all seemed meaningless now, what with his best friend dead and him powerless to have stopped it.

"I should have come back sooner," Goku whispered, causing Piccolo to snap his eyes towards him. Even though the fight between them had long since been brushed under the rug as it were, the strong Namekian couldn't help but feel like hitting him again.

"Yes, you should have," he stated, trying to bite back his tongue, although he knew that his idiot of a friend needed to know the truth, even though the truth would probably crush him.

"I'm not going to put it lightly to you Goku," he found himself saying, "But staying dead was the worst decision you have ever made."

Silence rained down upon them again, and it took a while to for Piccolo to realise that Goku had finally let his tears fall.

A sob escaped the man, as he placed his head in his hands. Piccolo was frozen, unsure of what to do. Gohan had cried in front of him numerous times, many years ago. But that was Gohan, and he knew how to handle that. The teenager was still a kid in his eyes, but this was the boy's father, a fully grown saiyan male sobbing in front of him.

"Goku?" he asked warily.

Goku shuddered, raising his eyes to meet his, "I didn't want it to be this way Piccolo. When I stayed dead, it was because I wanted him to have a childhood. You were right about what you said, when Gohan was fighting Cell, he's not a fighter, he never has been. But I was too blind to see it… all those years…" He sniffed, wiping his tears away, "I just wanted him to feel safe, not to worry about anything anymore, and now-"

"Gohan didn't want to feel safe," Piccolo interrupted, "He wanted a father. He needed you Goku."

The saiyan nodded solemnly, "I-I know. He's changed so much, I hardly recognised him when he turned up for the tournament. He's even a father now, great _Kami_ I should have been there for him through that."

Piccolo sighed, "He did change, although it wasn't that noticeable for a while after you died."

Goku looked at him curiously, willing the Namekian to continue.

"We all thought it was odd at first," said Piccolo, "Gohan didn't really grieve for you. Instead, he helped his mother prepare for Goten and started school. On the outside, he appeared as happy and as carefree as always. But no one, not even a kid as strong as he deals with the death of their father that well."

He sighed, averting his eyes away from Goku as he relived a haunting memory, "Around the year anniversary after your death, he disappeared. Somehow, I knew something was up so I went to the house. Chi-Chi was frantic, said she woke up and he was gone. Goten was just a baby then, so Chi-Chi couldn't leave him to look for Gohan. There was no sign of a struggle in his bedroom, only that his bed was unmade and the window open. But still, it wasn't like Gohan to just up and leave without telling someone back then."

Goku was listening intently, his jaw tightening as Piccolo continued on.

"No one knew where he was, he wasn't at the usual places; Capsule Corp, Kame house, the waterfall. We all went searching for him," the Namibian sighed, "Somehow, I knew something like that would happen, but I had been kidding myself for a long time."

"What happened Piccolo?" The saiyan's voice was stern, though his eyes were still shining with tears.

"I found him," he replied, deliberately not looking at him, "He was sitting at the edge of the crater formed by his and Cell's Kamehameha wave, just.. staring. His eyes-," Piccolo paused, "were just empty, as if he was seeing nothing. I don't know how long he had been there, probably hours, just staring into the hole in the earth. He knew I was there, watching him. After a while he just asked me, why."

"Why?" Goku blinked.

"Yes," the Namekian spoke, a slight tremor to his voice, "He asked me why you didn't want to come home and why couldn't he have died instead of you."

"W-what?" the saiyan asked with wide eyes. "Why would he say such a thing?!"

Piccolo let out a low growl, "Are you that dense Goku? Gohan blamed himself for your death! And when you said you didn't want to come back it was like driving a knife into an already open wound. He thought you didn't want to come back because he killed you."

Goku looked flabbergasted, "B-but Gohan didn't - I would never-!"

"Despite what we thought Goku, Gohan never listened," He explained haughtily, "He even took it upon himself to tell Chi-Chi that you had died and weren't coming back. Krillin and I offered to break the news to her, but Gohan wouldn't have it. He said that it was his mistake and he had to bear the consequences of his actions."

Piccolo turned away from the heartbroken man, casting his gaze to the circling clouds below, "The day that I found him, I could see just how much it had affected him. And I'm not just talking about your death Goku, I'm talking about everything we put him through, all of us, forcing him into battle because his power was far beyond that of a boy his age. I think we all forgot just how young he was."

 _Why?! Why did Dad have to sacrifice himself?! He's gone and it's all my fault! Why couldn't it have been me Piccolo?! Why couldn't I have died instead of him?! I don't deserve to live Piccolo, not after what I did!_

"W-what did you say to him?" Goku mustered after a beat of silence.

Piccolo sighed deeply, the memory haunting, "Nothing, how could I? I didn't know why you chose to stay dead Goku. I just let him cry, and after that, I haven't seen him cry since."

"Y-you haven't?" he mustered sadly.

"No, although we could all see how it was affecting him," said Piccolo, "The only time I saw him show any emotion of that sort was when Gokuto was born. The poor kid was terrified."

Goku sniffed, "He was so young, I can't believe it."

"Believe it Kakarot."

Piccolo turned to see Vegeta behind them, fully healed thanks to Dende. It was good to see him up, they almost lost him.

"Your son changed," said Vegeta, "For the better in my opinion, he's grown up a lot since you decided to stay six feet under."

"I should have been there."

"That's obvious," Vegeta sighed, "Now stop wallowing Kakarot, it's unbecoming of a saiyan."

"Im sorry," Goku whispered, staring down at his hands.

"Save your apologies," the prince snorted, "It should be your son you should be apologising to. I've just about gotten over my migraine caused by his pubescent years. Be thankful you weren't there to go through the shit that we had to deal with because of the boy, as entertaining as some of it might have been."

"Vegeta…" Piccolo warned.

"Cut the shit Namek, the idiot needs to hear this," Vegeta growled at him, before turning to Goku, "You're delusional if you think that your death was going to have no affect on the boy, especially under the circumstances in which you so _nobly_ sacrificed yourself. What? Did you expect to play happy families again for a weekend and then return to your resting place with no repercussions? I don't know whether you've noticed Kakarot, but the reason your son is so weak is because he is terrified of his own power - the very same power that inadvertently sent you to the grave. Maybe, if you had chosen life over death, then Gohan wouldn't be sporting the same halo you so proudly wear."

Goku gaped, his eyes watering, though he refused to let his tears fall in front of the prince.

"I don't pretend to be a perfect father figure for the boy either," Vegeta continued, "But Piccolo and I have been striving to get him back on form. Not only for his powers sake, but for the sake of himself. Which is more than you have done for him as a father for the last… I don't know, how old was he when Raditz came to Earth? Four? That's right, for the last thirteen years of his life."

"Vegeta," Piccolo spoke again.

"And you can get off your pedestal Namekian," he snapped, "Where were you when Majin Buu had his fingers wrapped around Gohan's throat?"

"Vegeta that's not fair," Goku croaked, "Piccolo has been struggling-"

"Don't defend him Kakarot," the older saiyan seethed, "He was weak to succumb to the wizards spell, just as I was too weak to stop Buu. He is just as guilty as you or I."

The three men stared at each other, the silence almost deafening as they found common ground.

Vegeta scoffed, as Goku gave him a solemn nod of understanding, "Now can we stop the pathetic display and discuss how the hell we're going to put an end to this pink monstrosity?"

Goku couldn't help but smile at his old friend, Piccolo too; trust Vegeta to bring them both back from the clouds.

"Well actually, I have a plan," said Goku, catching the other's off guard.

"You do?" asked Piccolo, "Why didn't you mention this before?"

"I've only just thought of it really," he chuckled.

"Elaborate Kakarot if you would, before I'm forced to jump off the edge of The Lookout," drawled Vegeta.

"Alright alright!" Goku laughed, "Its a technique that I learned in Otherworld, its called the Fusion Dance!"

Piccolo and Vegeta stared, before backhanding their comrade upside the head.

"Ow! What was that for?!" the younger saiyan cried, rubbing his sore spot.

"Idiot!" Vegeta growled, "A dance of all things?! A dance is supposed to help us destroy Majin Buu and Ize?! Fool!"

"Its not any old dance Vegeta," Goku explained, "Its a _fusion_ dance! Its a technique I learned from these aliens called Metamorans! Basically, the purpose is to temporarily merge two bodies into one superior entity. Im sure Goten and Trunks could handle it!"

"Goten and Trunks?" Piccolo blinked, "why them?"

"Well in their match yesterday they were evenly matched -,"

"Tch, you're in denial Kakarot-"

" - they're pretty much the same height and size, they'd be perfect for the job! If not to beat Buu then to at least give us all the edge!"

"I'm listening," said Piccolo, "But neither Trunks or Goten has the discipline to fight seriously, they treat it like a game."

"That's where you come in Piccolo," Goku grinned, "you taught Gohan all those years ago, I'm sure you could handle it again!"

The Namekian had a hard time restraining himself from slapping the man a second time.

"All I've got to do is teach you the moves, and you can carry on teaching them!"

"Your time is limited on Earth," Vegeta contemplated, "By my calculations you have mere hours left."

"Yeah, I know," he replied sadly, "I can't believe I'm leaving you all when the Earth is in danger."

"What are you trying to say Kakarot? That we can't handle saving the planet without you?" Vegeta glared.

"No not at all," he beamed cheekily, "I'm just jealous that you lot get to have all the fun."

With the realisation that Goku had but hours to spare before he had to make his last trip to Otherworld, he and Piccolo set to work learning the Fusion Dance right away, and a small part of Piccolo was actually glad that Gohan wasn't around to witness the embarrassing display.

"So, do you think you've got it?" Goku asked after practicing the moves once more.

"Yes," The Namek growled, attempting to ignore Vegeta's manic laughter from the window of the temple. Ugh, he was starting to get a headache.

"You're sure you don't want to go through it one more time?"

"NO!" He shot back, his headache getting steadily worse.

It felt like something was trying to poke at his mind, and for a moment he was worried it might have been Babidi back from the dead when a sudden childish shout echoed around his mind.

 _"Daddy! Daddy where are you? D-Daddy help me! I-I'm scared!"_

"D-did you hear that?" Goku asked, his eyes wide.

There was a thunder of footsteps, as the Z-Fighters hurried towards them from the main sector of the temple.

"Did you three hear that?" Krillin called frantically.

"What was it?" Videl blinked, looking a little frightened, she obviously wasn't accustomed to people communicating with her through her mind.

"Goku!" Chi-Chi cried, launching herself at her husband, "It was Gokuto! I-I don't know how, but - oh please Goku you have to find him! You have to find our grandson!"

Piccolo growled in realisation, "If we've heard Gokuto's call then there's no doubt that Ize and her cronies have heard it too."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Trunks in annoyance, "We've got to go and get him!"

"I can sense his Ki again Dad!" yelped Goten.

"Damn it all, Ize and Checha will have no doubt picked up on the runt's energy," spat Vegeta.

"We have to think about this strategically, Buu will destroy us all if we hang around," said Piccolo, "Especially seen as we've not perfected the fusion dance."

"The wha-?" asked Krillin.

"I'll explain later," said Goku, his eyes hardening.

"Then I say we get in there, grab him and get back to The Lookout," said Yamcha, "Gohan would never forgive us if something happened to him!"

"You're right Yamcha," said Goku sternly, "Everyone grab on!"

In an instant, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Eighteen, Piccolo and Vegeta grasped onto the saiyan's shoulders, including Goten and Trunks, who were firmly grabbed back by their mother's before they could escape.

And with a loud swoosh, they were gone.

 **xxxx**

The land was desolate. Dusty winds swept across the planes, the birds and small mammals having long fled the vicinity. Only a lone saiyan child was brave enough to venture through the wastelands, his sobs echoing off the rocky cliff faces in the distance.

"Daddy? Daddy where are you?!"

Young Gokuto was distraught, he couldn't sense his father anywhere. He had done as he was told, ran and ran until he could run no more. He was tired, hungry and thirsty. All he wanted was his noo noo and his toy Icarus. Goten and Trunks too, he hadn't seen his bestest best friends in the whole wide world for so long. He was scared, he wanted to go home.

His head was becoming fuzzy from dehydration, he sniffed glumly, attempting to blink the dirt and tears from his eyes. Gokuto yawned, he was so tired he didn't even sense the life energy hurtling towards him, that was, until it was right in front of him.

"There you are brat!" Checha grinned maliciously, licking his lips hungrily at the saiyan child.

Gokuto shrieked in terror as crimson eyes glowered down at him. He tried to run, but tripped on his tail in the process, face planting the dirt with an audible thud.

"No! Leave me alone!" He choked, as Checha trudged towards him, still clearly injured. Dried blood coating his face and clothing.

"I know what you are _boy,_ " he breathed heavily, "Such a pity that my mistress is too blinded by the power of Majin Buu to realise that you are the true treasure. Yes… the Majin magic is unmistakable, it's no wonder you were able to break free of Babidi's shield…"

"My Daddy will-!" Gokuto started, but he was interrupted by Checha's manic laughter.

"Your father is _dead_ you little brat," the brute informed him wickedly, "Surely you must know that by now, you can't sense him after all can you?"

Tears streaked down the young boy's cheeks, giving Checha all the confirmation he needed.

"You see, it is futile to try to escape," he continued, his hand stretching out towards him, "Your father is never coming back, so why not come with me instead? My mistress wants to enlist you into her army after all… but no, I have much bigger plans for you…"

"DESTRUCTO DISK!"

Checha howled in pain, as a glowing golden disk of Ki sliced his outstretched hand clean off, sending blood spurting all over the dusty ground.

The warrior grasped onto his stubbed arm in horror attempting to stem the bleeding as he crashed to his knees in agony, "Who dares?! WHO DARES?!"

"I dare," growled Krillin, his black hair rippling in the wind as he stood before the fallen alien.

"M-mister Kwillin?" Gokuto squeaked, looking towards the Z-Fighter in awe.

But Gokuto didn't have time to contemplate just what his father's friend was doing here, when his senses were swarmed by the warm familiar energies of the Z-Fighter's, who suddenly appeared before him, blocking Checha's path.

"Come here Gokuto," came the soothing voice of Eighteen, who scooped the small boy into her arms before turning her icy stare to the whimpering warrior.

Gokuto cowered in her motherly embrace, clutching onto her shirt with his fists and burying his head in the crook of her arm.

"Give us one reason why we shouldn't kill you on the spot," spat Vegeta, but to the prince's surprise, Checha started to chuckle.

"Because you'll all be dead before you get the chance."

"BUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

"Everyone! Be on your guard!" Piccolo suddenly roared, as Buu's cries echoed around the planes, "Eighteen, get Gokuto out of here! _Now_!"

Eighteen obliged, wasting no time in kicking off from the ground and shooting off in the direction of The Lookout. But to the Z-Fighter's horror, she didn't get far.

"My my, whats the rush my dear?" Dodoma growled.

"Get away from them!" Krillin roared, hurtling towards them but was met with a Ki blast from the brute before he could reach his wife.

"Krillin!" Eighteen cried, though she was thankful to see that her husband was merely singed, "You'll pay for that!"

"Oh I hardly think that is necessary," The cool voice of Ize came from behind them.

To the Z-Fighter's horror, Majin Buu accompanied her, floating by her side, his fuchsia eyes glinting with malice. Gokuto started to whimper in Eighteen's arms.

"Ah, and you must be Goku," she continued, looking towards the angered man, "The saiyan who defeated my _dear_ cousins."

"That's right," said Goku, his obsidian orbs hardening, "But make no mistake, I won't hesitate in destroying another one of your kind this time. Just what do you want with my grandson?"

Ize blinked, "Ah, so he's your kin is he? Tell me, how did it feel watching my Buu _murder_ your son? Buu tells me he thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the part where he felt his bones shatter against his fingers."

Without warning, an almighty roar suddenly escaped the saiyan's chest, causing the Z-Fighter's to fly out of harms way as the ground began to shake violently. Goku's ebony locks flashed golden as he erupted into his super saiyan form, his obsidian eyes swirling with colour until they turned into a magnificent green.

But he didn't stop there.

Sparks of electricity licked his aura as he powered up further and further, his golden locks growing down to the backs of his knees. His muscles bulged, his eyebrows seemed to disappear and his bone structure became more prominent.

"W-what is this transformation?" Ize gasped, affronted at the saiyan's sudden swell in power.

The dust cleared finally cleared, allowing for the flabbergasted to see Goku in all his transformational glory.

"This is the last time your family messes with mine," Goku growled with rage, before phasing out and landing a sucker punch straight in the Frost Demon's gut.

The wind was forcibly knocked out of her as she gasped for air, but the deceased saiyan didn't let up in his onslaught. With an uppercut to the chin Ize was thrown backwards, but Goku didn't allow her to fall. Instead, he grabbed her by the tail, causing her to scream in agony, before flinging her around in a circle around him. Releasing her, she careened off into a nearby cliff face, causing it to collapse on impact around her.

A fray erupted.

Dodoma immediately attacked Eighteen, who flung Gokuto out of harms way before parrying his fists and delivering a spinning kick of her own straight into the demon's skull.

Gokuto was caught swiftly by Tien, who narrowly avoided one of the demon's blasts as he flew the toddler to safety. Vegeta and Yamcha were hot on Checha's tail as he tried to escape, whilst Piccolo fired a well aimed 'Special Beam Cannon' straight through Dodoma's heart.

The demon fell to the ground. Dead.

"BUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

The pink tyrant screamed through the chaos, causing the Z-Fighter's to stop in their tracks.

"We've got to get out of here!" yelled Eighteen, as the irate Majin began to power up, sending tremors over the vast landscape.

Gokuto cried out in Tien's arms, calling for his grandfather who was busy delivering a hammer fist to Ize's skull.

"Goku! We have to leave!" Piccolo roared, heading up the terror stricken Z-Fighter's as Buu's rage began to emit powerful waves of Ki that flooded their senses.

"Ize is loosing control of Buu!" Vegeta seethed as he joined the other's, "The spell is wearing off! She's been weakened too much! Damn Kakarot and his blasted emotions!"

"No, Goku knows what he's doing!" called Yamcha, "He's trying to buy us time, lets go!"

With one last look towards their super powered comrade, they took off, just in time to see Buu unleash a powerful wave of destruction that was headed straight towards them.

"KAMEHAMEHA!" Goku roared, his own gigantic blast connecting with Ize's torso and sending her flying right into Buu's murderous path. Her screams intermingled with Buu's as her body turned to ash from the impact of the combined blast.

But sadly, it was not enough to injure Buu or even push him back just a little. All the super saiyan had time to do was to phase out to meet his friends, and instant transmission them back to The Lookout.

"Would you mind explaining what the HELL that was Kakarot?" Vegeta growled as soon as they appeared on the marble tiles.

"Which part?" joked Yamcha, "Disintegrating Ize or the new hair-do?"

"I will _murder_ you weakling!"

"Hey, come on," said Goku, his hair now back to its usual short black, "It was just a new transformation I learned when I was -"

"In Otherworld," finished Piccolo, "yes, we guessed. And here was me thinking that you weren't holding back in our fight. I should have known better."

Goku chuckled nervously.

"Oh sweetheart!" came Chi-Chi's frantic cry, hurtling towards her grandson in Tien's arms and clasping him to her bosom. "We were so worried!"

"Is he alright Goku?" panted Dende, as he and the other's joined the group, "do I need to heal him?"

"No, I think he's just been through a lot today," The saiyan replied sadly.

Gokuto whimpered, his green eyes darting around The Lookout, "D-daddy?"

Piccolo felt a pang ripple through his chest as the small boy realised he couldn't sense him.

"M-mummy?" Gokuto cried, tears falling rapidly down his cheeks, "I-I want Mummy! Mummy! MUMMY!"

"Chi-Chi! Put him down!" Piccolo cried, as he felt the little saiyan's Ki begin to spike uncontrollably.

Chi-Chi hurriedly placed him on the ground, but was blown back slightly by the force of a golden aura erupting to life around his tiny frame.

"A-amazing," he heard Goku whisper, though Piccolo was rather shocked too, the ground beginning to shake uncontrollably.

It was the same aura he had noticed when Gokuto had fired himself towards the ring when Gohan had been stabbed, yet, just as before, his hair remained ebony. Though, the power the young boy was emitting was mind boggling, rippling waves of energy flooding their senses.

"I WANT MY MUMMY!" The little boy screamed, stomping his small foot hard upon the tiles and causing them to crack upon impact. A gust of wind suddenly encircled him, whipping across The Lookout and causing his aura to grow and crackle. "MUMMY! MUMMY!"

"Woah! Gohan wasn't exaggerating about Gokuto's temper tantrums!" Krillin yelled, covering his face with his arms as the little saiyan continued to cry.

"Damn it!" Vegeta swore over the high winds, "Kakarot, go and fetch the boy's mother before he destroys the place!"

"W-what?" Goku asked.

"He's right!" Master Roshi yelled, as the tower shook, "Buu might pick up the signal!"

Goku frowned, placing his fingers to his temple as he located the one Ki closest to Gokuto's on the planet. In a loud whoosh, he was gone, returning seconds later with Lime and her grandfather.

Immediately, the hurricane ceased, Gokuto's golden aura dissipating as he ran towards the vacant red head with tears in his eyes.

"Mummy! Mummy!" He cried, attempting to clamber up her leg until he was picked up by Mister Lao and cradled.

"What on earth is going on? There's stories all over the news!" Mister Lao stammered, staring at the occupants of The Lookout, "Where's Gohan?"

The old man held onto Gokuto even tighter, when he was met with a solemn look.

"H-he's not here Papa!" Gokuto cried into his chest, "Daddy's not here, he's rweally rweally far away!"

The young boy struggled, his chubby hands grasping towards his mother who all but stared in confusion at the child, "Mummy! Mummy!"

"Shhh Gokuto," Mister Lao cooed, "Mummy's very tired today, it'll be alright. It's alright."

The Z-gang looked on sadly, that is, until Dende broke the silence.

"Oh no, don't tell me! This cannot be happening!" The young Namekian yelped, running to the edge of the lookout and looking over, catching the attention of the group.

"What is it Dende?" Piccolo asked sternly, though, with a heavy heart, he knew the answer before he could reply.

"Buu is coming!"

"WHAT?!" the Z-gang cried.

"H-he must have felt Gokuto's power up, there's no mistaking it! He's found us!" Dende cried.

"Oh shit! What are we going to do now?" Yamcha fretted, "Goku, do you think your new transformation can hold him off?"

 _"Oh ho! I doubt it Yamcha!"_

"Baba?" Goku asked curiously as a voice rained down from above, "Is that you?"

 _"Hello all!"_ The witch called, _"I just wanted to tell you congratulations Goku, that little stunt you pulled with your transformation only sped up the last of your time on Earth, so I'm afraid you're going to have to say goodbye to your family a little earlier than planned. Though I'm sure you'll be seeing them soon enough what with that Buu character knocking around. Crikey, what a crank!"_

"You old hag!" Master Roshi growled up at his sister.

"W-what?!" Goku spluttered, ignoring the impending argument of the sibling's, "But I can't go now! My friends need me here on Earth!"

 _"I'm sorry Goku but rules are rules after all, see you in five minutes, I'll see you back in Otherworld!"_

"Five minutes?!" The deceased saiyan yelled to the skies, exasperated, "but thats not enough time!"

"Oh Goku," Chi-Chi sniffed, a lone tear escaping her.

"Five minutes… five minutes…," Goku cried, panicking, "what am I going to-"

"BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

"Oh no."

In a flash, Majin Buu appeared above them. They barely had time to sense his rapid approach. His sadistic grin was wide and leering, looking as manic as every before.

What was left of Babidi's spell had been broken. He was completely out of control.

The pink monstrosity cackled at the aghast and terrified expressions of the Z-gang, who were stood frozen before his presence.

"What do you want from us?!" Bulma yelled bravely, clutching a whimpering Bulla to her breast.

"BUU WANT! BUU WANT!" The terrifying being repeated, his fuchsia orbs darting over the marble tiles.

"Just leave us alone!" The blue haired heiress growled, tears springing to her eyes as she ignored the cut throat gestures from her husband and son, "You're nothing but a big bully!"

"BUU WANT! BUU WANT!"

Piccolo glanced around him, it was hopeless. Closing his eyes in despair, and, relenting in the fact that Kami would nag him for eternity if he weren't already apart of him, an idea sprang to mind, and it was the only thing he could think of in order to buy them some more time.

"What do you want Buu?" the Namekian warrior spoke tentatively, "Do you want to kill?"

"I think thats obvious green bean," snorted Vegeta.

"Well, if that's what you want Buu, then theres still plenty of people left on Earth right now that you can kill for your pleasure," he continued, causing the gang to gasp around him.

"Piccolo! Have you officially gone insane?" Krillin yelled.

"Yeah did Babidi knock a screw loose or something?! Think about what you're saying!" Yamcha hissed.

"Quiet!" Piccolo hushed, watching intently as the monster pondered his words, "I know what I'm doing, if Buu goes to kill the people still on Earth then Trunks, Goten and I can go into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to learn the fusion. Everyone can get wished back by the dragonballs."

"Oh? And what are _we_ supposed to do in the meantime?" Tien growled, "Get killed too?"

"BUU KILL! BUU KILL!"

They were blinded, by a sudden flash of fuchsia light that erupted out of Buu's palm. He had raised one arm high into the air, pushing out hundreds, no thousands, no _millions_ of beams up into the air so that they careened into the Earth below.

"He's killing them all!" Dende cried.

 _"Goku, it's time."_

Videl Satan blinked, it was all happening too fast.

There she stood amongst Earth's greatest protectors, feeling as more helpless than she had done in her entire life. She couldn't believe just how quickly the days events had changed. She had woken up that morning as the daughter of the world's saviour, excited to take part in a tournament with some martial arts legends, that she thought she had a fairly good chance of holding her own against.

But now, just a few hours later, she had learned that she was in fact the daughter of a phoney - outclassed, nothing but a little girl walking amongst Gods. A very stupid girl, she had mused, when she caught sight of the boy she had met only days ago transform into non other than The Gold Fighter in the middle of the arena.

She just _knew_ it. One thing her lying father had been right about was that she should always follow her gut instinct, although she couldn't believe she hadn't made the connection as soon as she saw that _sodding_ sexy smile of The Gold Fighter that had haunted her dreams for months appear upon the features of Son Gohan.

She had only told Erasa of course, of what had happened between her and The Gold Fighter that fateful night. Her best friend had been utterly beside herself, and was convinced she had been talking out of her arse until Videl had shown her the small bruises on her hips that looked remarkably like fingerprints.

Only a super powered hunk would have been able to make marks like those on the daughter of the world champ - Erasa's words, not hers.

She had been fighting her conflicted feelings over the boy for several months before that night, it certainly didn't help that her group of friends at school were so infatuated by him and were forever questioning her if he had ever kissed her like media claimed.

At first, Videl had thought the idea completely disgusting. Just who the hell did he think he was? Barging into _her_ city and swiping the title of Satan City's protector from underneath her feet! He was pompous, arrogant, and a complete prat as far as she was concerned.

But after months on end of having him around, she actually started to miss him when he had suddenly disappeared after Borbonne had been arrested. And then, when he suddenly reappeared as a shining golden beacon in the middle of Satan City over a year later, she realised she had indeed fallen for him.

For her, falling in love with The Gold Fighter was just like going to sleep; slowly, then all at once.

She wasn't surprised when she had woken up the next morning with a cold space next to her in bed, he did have a secret identity to uphold after all. But nothing she did would stop her mind from drifting back to that night. The way his long golden hair seemed to light up the darkened room, the way his rock hard muscles felt pinned against her. His quickening breath, his soft lips brushing every part of her skin, making her feel thrills that she had never experienced with fighting.

So when she had intimately danced with Gohan at the welcome party, she couldn't believe how she hadn't figured it out, the lying bastard even smelt like him!

 _"You're actually telling me that you spent the entire time smelling the poor bloke whilst he was dancing with you?!" Erasa had guffawed later that night at the party, just as Gohan showed up, looking a little lost as his onyx eyes darted around the room._

 _Videl rolled her eyes, "I wasn't_ ** _smelling_** _him, it was just something I noticed, we were dancing really close you know."_

 _Her best friend sighed, "Vi, as much as I was thrilled for you about banging The Gold Fighter, you have got to stop this, it's been over a year and the git's not so much as shown up at a bank robbery for you!"_

 _"Eleven months actually," she sighed bitterly._

 _"Oh for Kami's sake Videl," Erasa huffed, grabbing a shot off a nearby tray and shoving it into her hand, "Here, your hoo-hah needs a drink."_

 _Videl glared at her, before catching Gohan's eye and causing him to wave at her._

 _She gave the teen a friendly wave back under Erasa's watchful eye._

 _Gohan broke out into a winning smile from where he was looking increasingly agitated by a giggling Angela, causing Videl to go weak at the knees, although she would have put it down to her high heels if anyone dared to ask._

 _"Look," Erasa continued, "All I'm saying is why sit here pining over The Gold Fighter when you've got Mister tie-me-up tie-me-down waiting over there?"_

She had given it a try, oh yes, allowing the handsome young man to kiss her outside of his suite the night after. A familiar feeling exploded within her stomach as he brought his lips upon hers, and she even started to berate herself when she compared Gohan's sweet kisses to The Gold Fighter's passionate urgent one's.

And then, beaten and bloodied by Spopovich, did she feel the strong arms of her superhero wrap around her. That familiar calm yet commanding tone reverberating through his strong chest as she nestled against it, his heart pounding rapidly in her ears, like a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off.

It had all become obvious to her after her quick recovery in the medical bay, but seeing that transformation still left her just as awestricken as she was when she had finally weighed up all the evidence.

She couldn't 'sense life-forces' like the majority of Gohan's friends could, or whatever the hell they did. But she could certainly feel the waves of crippling power brimming from Gohan as he transformed in the middle of the ring. The sheer force blew her pigtails away from her face, sending tremors rippling through her body.

But the thing that struck her the most was those piercing green eyes, that she had never seen for want of The Gold Fighter hiding them behind his visor. Though she couldn't fathom why he would want to do so, they were so beautiful.

At the time, she hadn't been too sure what was happening, but she was smart enough to know that something serious was going on. Though, the surge of hope she had experienced when Gohan shot after Yamu and Spopovich had been extinguished all too quickly when a beaten and bloodied Goku had brought him back to The Lookout.

Gohan, her Gold Fighter, was dead.

And now Videl felt as though she was stranded in the middle of one incredible mess. It seemed even Gohan's friends, the one's who _had_ fought in the Cell Games were having serious doubts of their own, looking towards this Majin Buu with horrified expressions.

Though Videl had to agree that he did look pretty terrifying.

Behind her, Gohan's mother cradled Goten, looking positively forlorn that she may have to be separated from her only living child. Majin Buu's laughter rang around them as the Z-Fighter's gasped, pain in their eyes as they felt more death and destruction emit from the Earth below.

A surge of anger suddenly swelled within her, she was Videl Satan for crying out loud! She didn't just back down from a fight!

Though what could she do against a monster like this? He had killed Gohan, the one to defeat Cell when he was just a little boy! Gohan's friends were strong too yes, she knew that, a million miles stronger than her, and they looked just as helpless as she felt.

Videl glared at Majin Buu, tears brimming in her eyes. Whatever happened, she would not let him get away with this.

"Everyone, grab on!" Goku yelled suddenly, instructing them all to grab onto one another, "I'll get us out of here!"

The Satan girl didn't know where on earth Gohan's father was planning to take them, though she quickly scrambled to attention, attempting to pry her eyes away from Buu and trying not to think about the possibility of her own father being murdered on Earth as she luckily escaped with her life.

"Kakarot! Piccolo and I will go to the time chamber with the boys, you go!" She heard Vegeta yell over the destructive blasts of energy, along with Majin Buu's manic cackles.

Pink waves of energy illuminated the marble tiles of The Lookout, as the rest of the gang grabbed on. The tiles cracked around them as the sanctuary began to rock from the sheer force of the almighty blast. She couldn't see how two young boys could match up to such a monster, even with that strange technique Goku was talking about.

Videl looked around her as she grasped hold of Bulma's arm, panic in her sapphire eyes.

"Is everyone ready?" Goku called.

She sighed in distain, looking away from the group just to see a small tail whip around the marble entrance of the temple.

"3…" Goku began to count as her heart dropped, Gokuto had somehow lost hold of Mister Lao in the fray.

"2…"

"Gokuto wait!" Videl yelled, breaking away from the group and making a beeline for the little boy.

"1…"


	34. The Z-Sword

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

 **The Z-Sword**

 **xxxx**

King Yemma had seen better days.

Oh yes, he had seen the true destruction of Majin Buu when he had been conjured out of his so called 'eternal' prison thousands of years ago. The desolation that had occurred had almost forced the King of Ogres into early retirement. His only hope was that the Gods could find another solution in Goku's boy, but what an awful child he was! Certainly no where near the enthusiastic young saiyan that had brought Buu down to his knees all that time ago.

Oh he had heard the rumours yes.

The rumours that none other than Lord Whis himself had stowed the super saiyan's soul away before it could reach purgatory. Though why would such a celestial being such as a destroyer God do such a thing? It's not like Lord Beerus was in need of a training partner at the time, he thought as he repressed a shudder. Some say that Whis had a higher purpose intended for the super saiyan, but for what Yemma couldn't fathom.

Of course, it was all just Ogre talk, Goz and Mez had always been the type to gossip. It seemed that guarding the prisoners of HFIL had gotten a bit boring for them over the years, that is until Cell came crashing into HFIL, streaming out of nowhere seven years ago. Oh ho! Now that was an achievement he couldn't deny Goku's boy! The young boy had sent the bio-android to HFIL with so much power that he careened straight past the check in station and into the depths of the hell faster than you could say super saiyan.

King Yemma and his team hadn't seen that much action in centuries, and they had never had a villain sent straight to HFIL from the world of the living before. Yemma even had to bring Cell back up to the check-in desk to admit him officially - it was safe to say that Cell did not like being made a laughing stock by an eleven year old boy, especially in the afterlife.

Though, he doubted he wouldn't see anything like that again for quite some time, even if the rumours of the super saiyan were true. How could a physical body even hold that kind of power? Saiyan blood tainted with evil magic? Majin magic at that! No, it would need some sort of an extraordinary combination to see a child born of that souling.

Alas, it would probably take until the end of this mountain of paperwork to see something of such magnitude again. What a shame.

"Oh, millions of souls," he sighed, resting his heavy chin on his enormous hand, "What a catastrophe."

 **POP**

"Hiya King!"

King Yemma blinked rapidly, shaken out of his thoughts as he caught sight of a familiar mass of spikey black hair, "Oh it's you Goku! Back already I see!"

"Yeah, my time's up on Earth," Goku replied, smiling, "Oh by the way, do you know if my son Gohan passed through here?"

The vein in Yemma's temple began to throb, "What does it look like?"

Goku cringed as he looked around the half destroyed temple.

"He has quite the temper that boy of yours Goku," said Yemma.

"Whoops, sorry about that," the saiyan chuckled nervously.

The King scoffed, before catching sight of the large group that had accompanied him, "And just who are all these people?"

"Oh! Er, friends of mine."

"What?!" Yemma bellowed, his eyes bulging "They're living?!"

Goku waved cheerily, "Alright Yemma thanks! Off to find Gohan!"

"Goku wait-!" Yemma cried, but the deceased warrior had already disappeared right in front of his eyes.

The King of Ogres sighed, rubbing his temples with his fingertips before pressing the button for his secretary.

"Denise? Be a love would you and fetch the aspirin."

 **xxxx**

"Stop your trembling boy," Kibito growled his gruff tone echoing over the vast valleys.

Gohan was getting increasingly annoyed as he swung the Z-sword back and forth with all his might. It was feeling lighter, he had noticed, but it wasn't getting any easier to manoeuvre.

"Tch, at this rate you will never harness the power of the mighty Z-sword."

"I'm _trying_ alright?" Gohan shot back, his messy black hair laden with sweat.

He had made a lot of progress so far, and could now lift the sword without transforming… or destroying any more buildings.

Kibito and The Supreme Kai still hadn't quite forgiven him for obliterating their ancient temple that had been around since the dawn of time. Kibito had been beyond livid, and had even attempted to pick up the sword from the debris himself in order to throw it at the halfling in anger, only to put his back out in the process.

"Pfft, what a hypocrite," the teenager muttered, giving the air another slice, "He couldn't even lift it."

"What was that?!"

"Nothing, nothing…don't get your knickers in a twist big guy," Gohan couldn't help but smirk, as he heard Kibito utter another noise of frustration.

The halfling frowned in concentration, his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth as he lifted the ancient relic and gave it another almighty swing-

"ARGH!" Gohan yelped, as suddenly, his father appeared out of nowhere, the blade narrowly missing his head.

"Dad?! What the _hell_?!" the teenager shouted as Goku writhed nervously on the floor.

"Whoops, sorry Gohan," he chuckled, blinking rapidly as a few hairs fell from his head.

The teenager was about to roll his eyes, when he noticed the majority of the Z-gang were standing behind his father.

Gohan gasped in horror, "What the bloody hell are you all doing here?! Did Buu-?!"

"No son," his father interjected, clambering up from the floor and dusting off his gi.

"We're fine, although a lot has happened down on Earth. You look like you've got a few things to fill us in on too," he added, glancing at the young saiyan's outfit.

"That doesn't matter right now," his mother sobbed, racing towards him and engulfing him in a bone crushing hug. "Oh sweetheart, I can't believe what that horrible monster did to you."

Gohan winced, "You saw?"

"We all did," sniffed Bulma, giving him a watery smile.

"Yes," said Dende solemnly, "I'm so glad to see your alright Gohan."

"Well, I'm not that great, I'm still most defiantly dead," he teased, earning him a playful slap on the chest from his mother.

As the gang greeted him happily, clapping him on the back and ruffling his hair, the young saiyan noticed that there were a few members missing, most notably -

"Where's Gokuto?" asked Gohan, expecting the boy to have already pounced on him.

Goku blinked, before looking wildly around him.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed, "Where has he got to this time?"

Gohan's face was like thunder, "Hang on, you _lost_ him?!"

His father gulped, raising his hands up in defence, "I'm sure he's fine Gohan! He's a fast little guy, I didn't realise he hadn't grabbed on! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to loose him again!"

"What do you mean AGAIN?!" The teenager roared, causing even the Supreme Kai to wince.

"Gohan, please calm down," said Goku warily, he had never seen the young saiyan look so much like his mother, "I'm sure he'll turn up!"

"Turn up?!" he cried, "He's a _baby_! Not a missing sock!"

"Hem, hem," the interruption caused both father and son to stop in their tracks, and look over at the Supreme Kai.

"Forgive me, Goku, but I can't help but wonder why you've brought your friends to my planet," he said carefully, "For that matter, I can't quite understand how you found us so easily."

"Oh," Goku smiled, scratching the back of his head, "Well my time on Earth ran out, so I just turned up at Yemma's place and followed Gohan's energy using my instant transmission technique - King Yemma said you weren't very nice to him Gohan."

"Like I care," the teenager snorted, causing his father to frown.

"Ah of course," the Kai smiled knowingly, "that's very impressive Goku."

"Thanks," The saiyan giggled sheepishly, "You don't mind that I brought my friends do you? Sorry Supreme Kai, I guess I sort of panicked-"

"Its preposterous!" Kibito exclaimed, finally able to speak, "Not only do you have as much disregard for our sanctuary as your son, but you bring _live mortals_ to walk upon these sacred grounds-?!"

"I said I was sorry…" mumbled Goku.

"It's alright Kibito," said the Supreme Kai, "For what its worth, I think its a fantastic idea to have the Z-fighters here."

"Master-?!" the bodyguard exclaimed, dumbstruck.

"Indeed," he smiled, "I believe Goku and his friends here can help young Gohan to train in his efforts with the Z-sword, but first I think it will be advantageous to know what has been going on down on Earth."

As Goku opened his mouth to offer an explanation, a tentative voice cut through the air.

"Gohan?"

The young saiyan started, pulling his gaze away from the small group that had gathered as a familiar voice reached his ears.

He blinked, as his eyes fell upon the form of his best friend. Lime was stood with Mister Lao, who was positively beaming, despite the tragedy that had befallen Earth.

Gohan wasn't sure why or how they had come to be here, but he couldn't think straight at that moment, as Lime's gaze bore into his, the spark reignited in her dazzling turquoise eyes. He heard his mother gasp beside him, along with several others. They had seen the girl, knew of her condition, and Gohan too, was told by Dende how it was virtually impossible for her to regain any sort of memory or speech, the damage to her brain far to great. But here she was, opening the lips that had kissed him so many times, and speaking to him, recognising him, pushing past her grandfather and taking a step towards him.

"Gohan, is it really you?" she asked, her voice but a whisper as silence encompassed the group.

The halfling nodded, gripping the Z-sword tighter in his palms.

His mouth ran dry, now it was he who was unable to speak. The last time they had seen each other, it was full of hurt and anger. She had tore his heart in two, and even when Gohan had tried to reconcile, she couldn't bare to see him again. And then, the next time he had seen her… she was… she was…

"If it's alright with everyone, I think we should give these two some time alone," Mister Lao said wisely, breaking the silence, "Yes, I think a spot of tea will do, if you have any Supreme Kai?"

 **xxxx**

Five minutes later, and deciding they had walked far enough without anyone being able to listen in, Gohan and Lime found themselves sitting on the bank of a glistening lake. It was surreal, just hearing her speak again. He had gotten over his initial shock when The Supreme Kai had informed them that Lime's injured mind had been healed temporarily by the sacred energies of the planet. That was all the explanation he had listened to before they had slipped away from the flabbergasted group.

Gohan offered her a cigarette before taking his own and lighting them both with a spark of Ki from his finger. They sat in silence for a long while, the Z-Sword lying abandoned in the soil as they smoked and watched the ripples of fish sweep across the water.

It was as if nothing had ever happened, were in not for the thick tension in the air.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked finally, having had pondered the same question for the last two years.

"I'm sorry," Lime whispered, looking down at her hands, "When I found out, I didn't know what to do. I wasn't sure how you'd react. I didn't even tell Grandpa until I got too big to hide it from him. I was scared Gohan."

"Well how do you think I felt when I turned up at the hospital and saw him?" he spat back before sighing and casting his head up to the sky, "I can't believe that you kept something like that from me."

"Look, we've both made mistakes alright?" she shot back sternly, causing the halfling to snort.

Silence engulfed them once more.

"Whats he like?" she asked.

Gohan turned towards her, to find that she had tears shining in her turquoise eyes, "You mean, you really don't know?"

The girl shook her head, allowing a tear to escape and roll down her cheek.

He caught it instinctively, wiping it away with his thumb before offering her a small smile and pulling away, "He's… he's something else. He's hilarious, adventurous, gets himself into everything - I think he gets that from you."

She chuckled, urging him to continue.

"He's ridiculously strong too," he said fondly, "You should see the temper tantrums he throws when you can't find his noo noo."

"His noo noo?" she quirked curiously.

"His dummy."

"Oh."

Silence.

"Lime?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm so sorry," he mustered sadly.

The red head sighed, "It's not your fault. I know it was Borbonne. That night, I woke up when I smelled the smoke. I managed to wake up Gramps, but the baby… he.."

Lime stopped short, her lip trembling before she managed to bring herself to continues, "He wouldn't wake up, I thought he had inhaled too much smoke. I wasn't thinking straight, I passed him out of the window to Grandpa, even though I thought he was dead. The roof caved in, and after that, I don't remember what happened."

"Lime…" Gohan whispered sadly, he had no idea.

"Who knows," she sniffed, "maybe if I had told you about the baby sooner, then you would have been there with us and beat the crap out of Borbonne's goons before anything happened."

"Please don't blame yourself," he offered sincerely, breaking out into a small smile, "and besides, I'd like to think that I beat them within an inch of their lives after I found out what happened."

Lime winced slightly, "Ouch."

"Yeah," he mustered darkly.

"Nice to know that you still cared about me," she said.

Gohan blinked, "Of course I did, I still do Lime."

"Me too," she said sadly, taking his hand in hers.

"What's it like?" Gohan asked suddenly, though he was afraid of the answer.

"Empty," she replied, looking out into the violet sky.

The young saiyan squeezed her hand tighter, not quite ready to let go just yet.

"You've gotten taller you know," Lime suddenly grinned, "Not to mention those tattoos! _Hot. Ness_."

He blushed, "thanks, I knew you'd like them."

"Did your Mum nearly castrate you?"

"Shockingly, she had a worse reaction to the tattoos than me becoming a teenage father."

Laughter escaped her, and at that moment, the teen saiyan couldn't think of a more greater sound in the world.

"I can't believe you've raised him for two years and I don't even know what he looks like, everything just feels like mush when I try to think," she said with a sigh, rubbing her temple.

"Don't worry, you'll meet Gokuto soon," he smiled, his brow contorting into a frown, "that is, if my dad doesn't keep 'misplacing' him."

"Oh yeah I've got a bone to pick with your dad about that one," she teased, "so what's it like having him around?"

"Awkward," he answered honestly.

Lime snorted, "Don't worry, if I can make amends with my scumbag of a father for a couple of weeks then I'm sure you can do the same with yours eh?"

"I suppose," Gohan sighed, suddenly becoming interested in the blades of grass between his legs.

"Do you think you can do it?" she asked after a beat of silence, "You know, defeat this Buu monster like everyone was talking about?"

"I don't know," he shrugged hopelessly, "The Supreme Kai seems to think I can."

"Hey," said Lime, grasping his jaw with her hand and turning him to look at her, "Where's that cocky superhero that I once knew and loved? Don't tell me you're going to give up when the fight hasn't even started."

He couldn't help but grin at her, the warmth of her fingertips radiating over his skin, "I'm not saying I'm giving up, I just think that maybe The Supreme Kai has got a screw loose."

She snorted, her hand leaving him, "That's what I thought about your friends when they sent an eleven year old to fight Cell, but that worked out just fine now didn't it? You don't give yourself enough credit blondie, plus you've got an awesome sword that'll help you, not to mention it makes you look like a total badass!"

Gohan couldn't help but laugh, "It's not all about the look Lime, I might look powerful, but I certainly don't feel it."

"You once told me that your greatest power comes from the love you have for your family and friends," she quirked almost triumphantly, "Tell me, just how much love do you have for our son?"

"I'd die for him, a million times over," he stated boldly.

Lime smiled, "Well, there's your answer. I don't know much about freaky half-alien superpowers, but I know a lot about love. And you have all the love in the world Gohan, I'm certain that the power will follow."

Gohan felt a ripple of warmth in his chest, his fingers still intertwined with his best friends. Even though he may not have believed her, he still appreciated her faith in him, "Thanks Lime."

She grinned back, before rolling her eyes, "Right, now all the mushy stuff is over with, you have _got_ to fill me in with what's been going on with you and Gokuto for the past two years!"

He smirked, his muscles no longer aching from the weight of the Z-Sword, "Want to hear the story of the time Gokuto pissed in Vegeta's face when Bulma made him change his nappy?"

"Do I!"

They talked for what felt like minutes, but it was well over an hour when Gohan had finally filled her in on the last two years of his life. It was as if nothing had changed between them, and Gohan slowly felt old wounds beginning to heal. Although, he had been particularly irked when Lime had laughed hysterically about his single mothers club, but he was rather satisfied that he managed to shut her up when he let her in on his ongoing love affair with Videl Satan.

Lime was happy for him, which was a relief, though she embarrassingly insisted on being the 'best woman' at the wedding.

Upon their return to the training grounds, they found the entire gang enjoying a picnic and numerous pots of sweet tea. Lime immediately made a beeline for his father to scold him for loosing Gokuto. The young saiyan smiled, making a grab for a chicken sandwich before it was forcibly knocked out of his hand by a rather miffed Kibito.

"Oi!" Gohan protested, as he was lifted into the air and away from the food by the scruff of his robes.

"You can eat after you've finished your training!" the red skinned deity growled, "You've wasted enough time already!"

The teenager offered him a rather rude hand gesture, causing Kibito to growl menacingly.

"Kibito is right Gohan," The Supreme Kai coughed, clearing his throat in an attempt to diffuse the situation, "Why don't you show your father and your friends what the Z-sword is capable of after I've finished filling you in on what is happening on Earth? I've already informed them of your task."

"Well alright," said the young saiyan, shoving Kibito off him.

 **xxxx**

Gohan span wildly in the air, throwing the Z-sword up above his head and catching it in one swift movement. He was improving, rapidly so, and the young saiyan couldn't help but thank Piccolo's early sword training for that.

He swung the relic around with one hand, his boots tapping lightly on the ground before he propelled himself into the sky like a speeding bullet. Sweat rolled down the side of his brow as he pushed himself harder, his muscles burning from the strain.

The teenager stopped midair, pausing as he felt all eyes upon him. The Z-gang were sat on the soft blades of grass below, chatting happily as they watched him. His mother had raided the Kai's kitchen and was busy passing around glasses of iced lemonade.

It was a surreal sight to behold. If he couldn't feel the evil presence of Buu niggling at the back of his senses, he would of thought that his friends and family were just enjoying a picnic on a warm summers day, and not hiding from an ancient monster that had wiped out nearly almost everyone on Earth.

His stomach churned uncomfortably at the thought of Gokuto, Goten, Trunks, Piccolo, and Vegeta still on Earth. He could feel Gotenks holding his own, his power was certainly incredible for them to sense it from so far away, but he wasn't sure just how much longer the fused warrior could last against such a fiend.

Gritting his teeth, the halfling gripped the hilt of the sword more tightly, and continued in his onslaught upon the air. The sound of the blade whipping through the air caught even more attention, a wind picking up by the sheer force. Gohan growled, drawing the sword back and firing it outwards in rapid concession.

"HA! HA! HA!" the young saiyan cried, shooting through the sky and spinning the relic around in his palm. He heard a small gasp as he caught it again, and directed his gaze towards the ground.

He couldn't help but show off a little, when he caught everyone staring at him in awe. With a look of concentration crossing his features, he swiped and thrashed the sword as fast as he could, which to the untrained eye, was so quick they would have surely missed it.

"Hey Gohan, get down here!" he heard his father call from below, causing him to stop suddenly in midair.

Frowning a little, the teenager lowered himself to the ground, the Z-sword resting lightly now on his shoulder as the gang clapped and cheered. Even little Bulla and Marron were squealing in delight.

"Looking good," Goku winked, "But what do you say we test that baby out a little? See how sharp it is?"

Gohan grinned at his father, surprisingly not too deterred from spending time with him, "Yeah, yeah alright."

"Great! I'll throw and you slice! Now lets see…" said the older saiyan, getting up and looking around him, "Ah this should do, let's start out with this small one."

"That's a small one?" Gohan heard Supreme Kai mutter behind him, as his father picked up a reasonably sized boulder from the ground.

"Ready?" Goku smiled, hoisting the rock above his head with one hand.

Gohan smirked, "I'm always ready."

In one fluid movement, the boulder came hurtling towards him. The young saiyan flashed the gang a wicked smile, before bringing down the sword effortlessly. The blade cut clean through the rock, separating in two before flying past the halfling and into the distance.

A loud cheer and applause came from the Z-gang, along with a "Yeah! Alright Gohan!" from Lime.

The young saiyan gave a comical bow, causing his father to chuckle.

"I think your ready for a big one now son!"

The Supreme Kai gasped suddenly, "Katchin!"

"Bless you," said Gohan.

"No no Gohan," he said with an amused smile, "Katchin is the hardest known metal in the universe. A perfect test for such a mighty blade, don't you think?"

Gohan raised a quizzical eyebrow at the Kai as he raised a palm in the air. Immediately, a dark cube materialised out of nowhere, before descending upon his father. Goku caught it swiftly with both hands, but seemed he was struggling slightly with the weight.

"Oooh.." Goku mused, tapping the block curiously, "Let's do it Gohan."

The teenager smirked, feeling cocky as he bent his knees low in preparation. He could feel everyone's eyes upon him, "Let her fly Dad!"

Goku yelled in delight, as he released the metal. It careened towards the halfling at surprising speed. The teen saiyan lifted the blade, bringing it down as hard as he could.

But something was wrong.

As soon as the sword tapped its surface, it stopped. Gohan's eyes widened as he felt the blade quiver beneath his palms, and with a horrifying **SNAP** , it cracked completely in two.

The halfling yelped, the cube of katchin narrowly missing his head as he ducked out of its path. The heavy mass flew over his head before falling rapidly to the ground, picking up a generous mound of dirt as it dug it's way through the planets surface.

The cries of horror and desperation were lost on him, as all he could do was stare at the broken blade in his hands.

Slowly, he let the hilt drop to the floor, turning his focus to the devastated Kai.

"NO!" the purple skinned deity gaped, "KIBITO! TELL ME ITS NOT TRUE!"

"T-THE Z-SWORD, IT SNAPPED IN TWO! WE'RE ALL DOOMED!" Kibito cried.

"Well, uh, now I s'pose it's the Z-dagger," Gohan joked, attempting to make light of the situation.

"HOW DARE YOU MAKE JOKES!" Kibito roared, stomping towards the halfling, "YOU STUPID, RECKLESS BOY!"

"Oi! Don't blame me! Whose idea was it to throw the hardest metal in the frigging _universe_ at my HEAD?!" Gohan retorted hotly.

"WELL, IT MIGHT HAVE KNOCKED SOME SENSE INTO THAT THICK SKULL OF YOURS YOU INCOMPETENT BRAT!"

"N-no…" the Supreme Kai muttered, sinking to his knees, "I-its legend, master the Z-sword and you cannot be rivalled. It's said the person who wields the sword has the greatest power in the universe… bringing down… mightiest of foes… Buu… how is this possible?"

"Well this is great," grumbled Krillin, "How are we supposed to beat Buu now?!"

The group was in uproar, and Gohan couldn't help but allow a sickly feeling to pool at the bottom of his stomach. Gotenks, as strong as he was, was just merely holding Buu off before the teen could deliver the blow that would surely kill him. Sure, all the training he had done with the sword had caused him to become a little stronger, but was he anywhere near within the realms of power as the destructive Majin? Gohan highly doubted it.

It seems his father did too, as he gave him a solemn look. The young saiyan sighed, how was he supposed to get to Gokuto now? Even if he transformed into his ascended super saiyan state, it wasn't going to be enough.

With his mind reeling, he didn't notice the slight breeze that picked up behind him, nor the faint wheezing cough that was drowned out by the Z-Fighter's distraught chatter.

That is, until an abrupt shout caused him to nearly jump out of his skin.

"QUIIIIEEEET!"

They all ceased suddenly, staring wide eyed at the being whose purple skin was lined with wrinkles. He had a floppy white mohawk and beard, and was dressed in similar a garb as The Supreme Kai himself.

"Er, excuse me sir," Goku mustered politely, "But we're in the middle of training over here…"

"Ha! You call that training?!" the old man scoffed, his beady eyes trailing over the group, "My goodness I've never seen this place look so crowded, what is this? Some kind of party?"

"E-excuse me," Supreme Kai stuttered, "But who are you? How did you get here?"

The old man smirked, "Take a look at the hairstyle young one, I'm _you._ Fifteen generations ago to be precise!"

"You're a Kai?!" he exclaimed in shock.

"F-Fifteen generations?!" Kibito gasped.

"Thats right," said the Old Kai, "and I've been trapped in that damned sword for almost as long."

"Y-you were trapped in the Z-sword?" Supreme Kai asked, flabbergasted.

"Correct," he hummed, "Many years ago, a fearsome enemy sealed me away in the ancient sword of the Gods, too weary of my awesome powers. They imprisoned the sword within that stone until the time when a warrior worthy of taking on the greatest threat in the universe would appear. I've been waiting a long time for someone to set me free, now I've got a cramp." He paused, eyeing his descendent, "Hmmm, I take it that from the evil energy I'm sensing that Buu is out of hibernation, such a shame indeed…"

As the Supreme Kai filled the newest member of their group in on the day's events, Gohan was nudged in the ribs by his father.

"Psst, Gohan," Goku whispered, leaning into him, "What do you think? I don't think this bloke's as strong as he says he is."

The young saiyan raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure what to make of the situation. "I dunno Dad, I don't see why he's got any reason to lie."

Goku grinned, "I think we should test him, he doesn't look all that strong, but I think it'll be fun to see what he can do! He did say a _fearsome enemy_ trapped him in the Z-sword because of his powers! Maybe he's got some tricks up his sleeve that can help us to defeat Majin Buu!"

"Dad, I don't know…"

"Shh," he whispered, "Watch!"

The Old Kai was completely oblivious, as Goku gathered a small ball of Ki in his palm behind them. With a small shout, he fired, the blast hitting the Kai square in the face.

Gohan doubled over with laughter, as the deity hit the ground with a heavy thud. Supreme Kai and Kibito raced over, dusting him off whilst muttering a thousand and one apologies.

Goku winced, as the smouldering Kai sat up, positively seething.

"HOW DARE YOU?!" Old Kai roared, shaking a fist at them, "YOU UNLEASH AN ATTACK ON A FEARSOME MAN LIKE ME! YOU DARE TO SINGE THE FACE OF A GOD?! ARE YOU CRACKED?!"

"B-but Sir," Goku mustered weakly, "that attack was just child's play…"

"My _toddler_ could of handled that!" Gohan howled, clutching his aching sides.

"It was not my strength that struck fear into the hearts of my enemies you insolent brats!" the ancient deity growled, allowing Kibito to help him to his feet, "It was my menacing capacities!"

"Menacing capacities?" queried Yamcha, "what do you mean by that?"

"Silence Earthling!" he warned, before he turned away from them, "Why should I tell you anyway, hmm? Give me one good reason!"

Nervous glances were exchanged, before it was Gohan's father that surprisingly spoke up.

"I know!" Goku beamed, causing all eyes to avert to him, "My old master likes girly magazines, how about I see if he has some on him? He's only sitting right over there!"

"Dad really?" Gohan face-palmed, as an awkward silence hung in the air.

"What's the matter Gohan?" blinked Goku, "Do you have some more up to date ones he could have?"

The teenager blushed to the roots of his hair. Of course he did, but he didn't want anyone else to know that, least of all his mother.

"NO!" he defended, purposely avoiding their cryptic gaze.

"I have no need for such things," Old Kai sniffed professionally, before a smirk crossed his lips, "With my omniscient vision I can watch girl's sunbathe all day on the beach!"

Gohan scoffed, as his father let out a burst of nervous laughter. Some Kai, what a pervert.

"Hey Old Kai," his father tried again, "How about we set you up with a real live earth woman?"

The teenager rolled his eyes, why wouldn't he just give up for goodness sake? It wasn't going to work.

"Is she a good kisser?" Old Kai asked, intrigued.

Gohan nearly fell over.

"Of course she is!" exclaimed Goku.

The young saiyan raised an eyebrow, what women did his father know were good kissers? Oh Kami. He hoped he didn't mean his mother.

"Gohan," his fathers voice broke him out of his stupor, "I might need you to do me a little bit of a favour…"

"What?" the young saiyan asked carefully, immediately not liking where this was going.

"Well," he pressed, lowering his voice to a whisper, "Do you think Videl would do it?"

"WHAT?!" Gohan yelled, astounded he would ask such a thing, "I'm not going to ask _Videl_ of all people to snog this wrinkly old codger!"

"Alright, alright," Goku cowered, thinking for a moment, "What about Lime?"

He was immediately silenced with a stern glare from the halfling.

"O-kay…" the older saiyan whistled, looking over to the large group beside the boulders, "Hey Bulm-"

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" came the blue haired woman's angry retort.

"Well I guess that's out," Goku sighed, scratching his head in defeat.

"Well, looks like it's your loss lad," quirked the Old Kai, "If you can't find me a good looking girl then I'm not telling."

"Aw man," said Goku, his pleading eyes surveying the Z-gang.

"Venerable ancestor," Supreme Kai mustered, "Is there any other way we can persuade you?"

At his words, the old man huffed, folding his arms across his chest and turning his head away from them.

Gohan sighed, this was getting ridiculous.

"This blows," said Tien, "anyone know any single girls?"

The Z-Fighters shrugged around him.

"Well, I have a few on speed dial, but they've probably all been destroyed by Buu by now," Yamcha said glumly, causing the others to sigh in defeat.

They sat in silence for a while, until Lime abruptly got to her feet.

"Well then, looks like someone's got to take one for the team."

Gohan blinked, as everyone looked towards her in shock, "You can't be serious?!"

"What?" the red haired quirked, "Everyone else is either married or dead. Woah, what a depressing world we live in…"

"Lime, you don't have to do this…" the teenager pressed, as the gang looked between them in awe.

"Oi Kai!" Lime shouted, drawing the attention of the old man, "How do you fancy snogging a MILF? Would that persuade you?"

Gohan looks up to the skies helplessly, "Great Kami, Lime…"

"That depends," the Old Kai sniffed, "What does she look like?"

"You're looking at her hot stuff," she winked.

The old deity's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets once he finally acknowledged the girl, "Wow-wee! And you don't look saggy at all! Ooh yes, very perky!"

"Oi! You'd better watch it!" growled Gohan.

"Oh chill out Gohan," said Lime with a roll of her eyes as she sauntered towards the Old Kai, "It _is_ a kiss to save the universe after all!"

The teenager grimaced, along with the rest of the group, as Lime grasped the Old Kai by either side of his cheeks and pressed her lips forcibly against his.

Thankfully, after a few seconds it was over, and the old Kai was left gasping for breath.

"Phew! She's a wild one that one!" he panted, ogling the young woman as she triumphantly took her place next to Chi-Chi, who patted her sympathetically on the knee.

"Yeah yeah, can you just tell us about your stupid powers already?" fumed Gohan.

Old Kai's goofish grin slipped of his face, his brow contorting into a serious frown. "Hmmm, very well, I think you've earned it."

All eyes were fixated on the elder as he slowly turned, a smile playing on his lips, "How shall I put this… if I use my powers on a kitty cat that goes 'meow', he'll unleash a mighty 'ROAR'. So you see… the cat becomes a lion. Get it? Therein lies my power. I awaken people's sleeping powers!"

There was a long, drawn out pause. Gohan felt like strangling him.

"Oh, so you're not all that strong yourself?" said Goku, sweating nervously.

"YOU FOOL!" Old Kai roared, spitting in the saiyan's face, "I can take a person far beyond their limits! Idiot! The cat becomes a lion! THE BIRD BECOMES AN EAGLE!"

"Well," Goku gulped, "It's just a bit hard to believe thats all…"

Old Kai growled furiously, before his beady eyes found Gohan.

"You," he said in annoyance, "How would you like your sleeping powers awakened?"

"Me?" said Gohan as everyone turned to face him.

"Yes, you," he tutted, "You may be a little rough around the edges, but I can see the potential that lies within…"

"Hmm," the Old Kai pondered, looking him up and down, "A guy like you with the power to break the Z-sword… oh yes, I could do something with you."

Gohan glanced at his friends, who merely shrugged.

"Well come on then lad, stand up! And get over there!" the elder ordered.

With a roll of his eyes Gohan did as he was told, and joined him in the middle of the field.

" _Without_ the attitude would be nice," Old Kai grumbled, "Teenagers, no respect."

The young saiyan ignored him, standing in the centre of the long plane of grass. His father looked towards him apprehensively, and Gohan couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

"Hmm," said Old Kai, eyeing him, "Let's get started right away shall we?"

Gohan nodded, bracing himself.

"Keep your chin up lad! Keep your chin _up!_ " he ordered, "There now, stay perfectly still."

He obeyed, feeling everyone's eyes on him. He was worried, what if he couldn't control the power that was to be unleashed? He had barely mastered the power he had brought forth against Cell! Similarly, what if there wasn't any? It was obvious from the fight with Dabura that the other Z-Fighter's thought that he had become unbearably weak.

Still, with his father out of the picture, it was the only way that Gohan could think of to help Vegeta, Piccolo and the other's back on Earth. If the teen was back up to scratch, then maybe their combined efforts would be enough to take down Majin Buu, or at least get him back into his prison.

Maybe.

Hopefully the Old Kai would be willing to help bring out the rest of the Z-Fighter's hidden potentials, giving them an even bigger boost in power.

"Now relax, clear your mind," said Old Kai, slowly stretching out his palms as Gohan closed his eyes, waiting.

It was silent, everyone was watching, everything was perfectly still.

"WAKE UP!"

Gohan nearly fell over backwards as Old Kai's voice penetrated the air.

"WAKE UP YOU NO GOOD SLEEPING POWERS! SLEEPING ALL THIS TIME?! HOW DARE YOU!"

The young saiyan opened his eyes, as the deity started to chant, pacing around him in a circle, raising his arms up and down in some sort of strange, one manned conga line.

"Waaake up… sleepy powers! Waaaake up now! Woo woo!"

"What the-?" Gohan started, but was shortly cut off by his father.

"Um, sir? What are you doing?" asked Goku.

Gohan looked over at them, it seemed Supreme Kai and Kibito were just as dumbfounded.

"Be quiet! This is what sets the mood!" snapped Old Kai, still performing his dance around the young saiyan.

The teenager snorted, "I think you have a pretty skewed idea of what sets a 'mood' old man."

"SILENCE! Filthy boy!" the elder yelled, as Lime howled with laughter, "Now stand still, this is just the opening ceremony!"

"Good grief, what next," he heard his father sigh, "Excuse me? But how long is this going to take?"

"Ooh ha! Five more hours! oh uh! Power raising! Ha! Twenty more after that!"

"WHAT?!" Gohan yelled, rounding on the Kai, "We don't _have_ twenty-five hours!"

"Well that's how long it takes my boy! Ha!" Old Kai sang, continuing onwards in his ceremony.

The young saiyan growled, he was getting fed up of arseing around. "Forget it! We've wasted enough time as it is! I'm going to get my son back!"

He made to kick off from the ground when Old Kai stopped him, "Oh? and what do you propose you do once you eventually manage to find your way back to Earth huh?"

"I don't care!" Gohan yelled, "My son and little brother are trapped with that monster! I'll risk my life if I have to!"

"Well good luck with that, you're already dead," snorted the elder, "Or have you forgotten about that halo bouncing above your noggin?"

The young saiyan gritted his teeth. The old man was right, and Gohan knew himself that he was in no condition to face Majin Buu, no matter how much he wanted to help Piccolo and the others.

"Gohan, if I may," said Supreme Kai, gaining the halfling's attention, "Time works differently in this plane. Much like the Hyperbolic Time Chamber in your world, twenty-five hours here is but a few minutes on Earth."

Gohan sighed, biting lip in thought as the elder Kai patiently waited.

"Is there any way we can watch the battle on Earth whilst we wait? I think it'll be good to know what's going on," said Launch, who was sat with her husband, looking worriedly at Gohan.

"Of course," said Supreme Kai with a smile, materialising a crystal orb out of thin air. "This way Gohan, we will know when is best to act, and if we need to save your son, we will."

The young saiyan found Lime's gaze, who looked a little relieved by this.

"Are you ready lad?" Old Kai spoke, giving him a serious look.

Slowly, Gohan nodded, regaining his composure as the elder took off chanting once more.


	35. Faith In A Boy

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

 **Faith In A Boy**

 **xxxx**

Gohan was bored. He was so bored he was just about ready to go on ahead and sacrifice himself to Buu if it would put an end to this torture.

Twenty-seven hours.

Twenty-seven hours and they still weren't done yet. He wasn't even allowed a cigarette, which was pissing him off to no end.

"Ooh! Yes it is taking a while isn't it?" The Old Kai had exclaimed when Gohan had angrily notified him of the increasing passage of time, "Oooh you must be super strong!"

Even the Z-gang had gone to bed and woken up in that time. The young saiyan was actually quite glad that he was dead otherwise he would have been tired and starving, though the smell of breakfast was starting to make him salivate.

"OW!" He winced, as Old Kai struck him on the head.

"I told you not to move!" he ordered, "and here you are sniffing at the air like some sort of foul creature! You're supposed to be keeping your minds eye focus on all of your energies, you must never leave your meditative state! Discipline and concentration! Only then can you acquire your full potential! Good grief!"

"But it's been nearly thirty hours!" The teenager said hotly, "Surely it has to be over by now!"

"It's over when I say it's over sonny boy! And I'll have less of your lip! That is unless you don't want to save your son?"

Gohan clamped his mouth shut, fuming as he struggled to maintain his focus. Kami, this bloke was worse than Piccolo.

Thirty-Three hours….

It has _got_ to be over by now.

"Heh heh, oh yes!"

The young saiyan creaked open an eyelid, breaking his meditation, and was annoyed to find that the Kai was too busy reading a dirty magazine he had no doubt gotten from Master Roshi.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?!" Gohan growled, causing Old Kai to stare at him.

"Training you of course."

"You call this training?!" the teenager yelled, catching the attention of the others who were sat watching the crystal ball by the river, "You're not even doing anything!"

The Old Kai blinked, "Ah yes, perhaps you're right. It must have been over a few minutes ago now."

"Bullshit!" he seethed, his eyes flashing green as a great wind picked up around him, "Don't you realise what you've done?! How much time we've wasted by just sitting here?!"

But the deity merely smirked, as a bright glow emitted from the halfling as his aura burst to life, purple and silver bolts of lightening licked against his frame as a surge power escaped him, causing the gang to gasp in awe.

Gohan had noticed it too, he stopped yelling as the light subsided, blinking in surprise as he suddenly felt a swell of power pulsating around him.

"I-It worked," he said numbly, not quite believing it, "Is that power really mine?"

"That's right." The Old Kai grinned, "Took a little time to chop away at all those restraints you had put in place around your power. But it wasn't that hard to do. Ah yes, I think you're finished."

"A-amazing," The Supreme Kai gaped, staring at the halfling who was gaping at his hands in awe, "With all that power Gohan, I think you'll be more than a match for Majin Buu!"

"D-do you think so?" asked the young saiyan disbelievingly, as the Z-gang began to babble excitedly.

He could feel Gotenks still fighting on, Piccolo and Vegeta's Ki's fluctuating rapidly as they joined in the fray. But just how much longer could they hold out for?

He knew that his hidden powers had been awakened, but he felt as though there was more bubbling under the surface. Just how did he bring it out? Did he need a trigger like last time? Thoughts of his bloodied and beaten friends and a broken Android Sixteen pooled around his mind.

 _Gohan, it is not a sin to fight for the right cause. There are those who words alone cannot reach…_

"Gohan, what's wrong?" Krillin spoke, the gang picking up on his confused expression.

"I-I," he started helplessly, "I don't think I can do it."

The gang shared a perplexed look.

"What do you mean son?" his father frowned.

The young saiyan averted his eyes, feeling torn. If there was truth to what The Supreme Kai said, and his power really did rival Majin Buu's, who's to say he wouldn't mess everything up again. He had already disappointed them all once. But he would rather not get into that conversation with his father right now, who's obsidian stare was willing him to elaborate.

Catching onto his reservations, the Old Kai gave him a knowing smile, "You may not feel that different at the moment, but believe me, you have all the power you need."

The teenager bit his lip apprehensively.

"Just try to transform into one of those super saiyan's," he explained, "It'll happen, if you let it. You just need to _believe_ in yourself my boy."

Gohan stared at himself, thinking.

 _Let it go Gohan._

 _You have the power, my scanners sensed it._

"Oh come on," He muttered to himself, shaking his thoughts away.

 _Let it go._

Suddenly, the teenager closed his eyes, finding the centre of his Ki immediately. Surprised, he no longer felt the restraints that he had unwillingly placed on his power seven long years ago. Slowly, he searched his fear that had once resided in him had long since diminished. The tentativeness he was feeling was only due to the fact that he was worried he would find that crippling fear within himself once more.

Realisation hit him like a ton of bricks.

He wasn't an eleven year old boy anymore, being called upon to defeat a dangerous foe by his father. No, he was a man now. A man that made his own choices, one who paved his own fate.

And according to The Supreme Kai, he was the only one who could stand up to Buu.

And now he understood, he understood why his father had no choice to send him into Cell's evil clutches. He understood how much it would break his own heart to do the same to _his own_ son.

But he, Gohan, he could finally make the choice and fight for himself. And he would no longer stand by and let anyone get hurt when he had the power to stop it.

 _Yet another fighter, you could have saved…_

"I just have to believe," he whispered to himself, clenching his fists tightly by his sides.

Catching on what he was about to do, the Elder yelped, "W-wait! Try believing someplace else!"

But Gohan didn't hear him, he was too intent on bringing his power to the surface. The young saiyan let out an almighty roar, before delving into the very deep pits of his energy. It was as if a damn had broken, and all the power that there had ever been beyond it came flooding forwards. Raw energy pumped through his veins, causing his chest to ache, his heart feeling the sudden urge to beat.

A white aura exploded to life around him, bringing forth cackling bolts of electricity that snapped and cracked at his frame. The sky suddenly plunged into darkness, so that it now resembled a deep plum colour. He barely registered the other's yells of surprise when he felt another surge of energy build up inside him.

But instead of pushing it back, he let go. His eyes darkened even more so, his black hair standing on end momentarily before dropping back into its messy state. A bolt of electricity ran down the length of his wavering tail, causing the brown fur to stand on end.

Gohan now couldn't remember where the barriers were for his super saiyan and super saiyan two transformations. It was as if everything moulded into one.

The young saiyan let out another strangled shout, pushing as deep as he could into the very pits of his being. The planet shook, the grass upheaved from the ground around him, trees clung desperately onto their roots and the springs of water thrashed as if there was a tsunami. Torrents of wind whirled around him as his aura continued to buzz.

Slowly, the hurricane dwindled, and the young saiyan could do no more without destroying the breathed deeply, as the atmosphere once again became calm. He gaped, staring at his palms as his aura disappeared, yet small jolts of electricity continued to jump around his fingers.

Slowly, he looked towards his father, who had been thrown backwards along with everyone else. Goku's spikey mane of hair quivered as the breeze died down, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"Bloody hell," Gohan whispered. His power was beyond measure.

And best of all, it was enough to rival Majin Buu's.

"Wow Gohan," his father mustered, "y-you're incredible."

The teenager couldn't help but smile, feeling better than he had done in years.

"Its amazing," Tien stammered, "G-Gohan…How can he be so strong?"

"Ah you see," coughed Old Kai, picking himself out of a tree, "Gohan had that power within him all along. Ugh, I can't believe he couldn't have waited for me to move first!"

"But look at him, he looks so normal!" Krillin exclaimed, "and yet he's stronger than he ever was as a super saiyan two!"

"It's excellent," said Kibito, "Gohan has ascended past all of his previous limitations."

"Aw stop it big guy, your making me blush!" the teenager joked, causing the deity's eyebrow to twitch.

"Well Gohan, I think you're ready to face Majin Buu," smiled The Supreme Kai, "There's no more time to loose, we must act quickly."

"Right," Gohan nodded, a lump suddenly appearing in his throat as he glanced towards the gang.

"Oh do be careful sweetie," his mother whispered, embracing him tightly, "Bring our boys back."

"I will Mum," he said, allowing her to brush his cheek with her palm.

"Good luck kiddo, we'll be rooting for ya," Krillin beamed, as Yamcha gave him a wink.

He smiled back, before a voice caught him off guard.

"Gohan."

It was his father, his obsidian eyes shining with pride, and were those tears?

"Gohan, I've always been proud of you," he whispered, biting his lip, "And after all thats happened, what you've been through, I'm so sorry."

Gohan was caught off guard, unsure of what to say. All he knew was that he didn't want to hear an apology from his father, it was too late for that. Though the young saiyan couldn't shake the sudden ache in his chest, maybe it was the way Goku was looking at him.

"It's alright Dad," he croaked, forcing a small smile.

His father nodded, clapping him on the back before he slunk behind his mother, and Gohan was confused as to why at first. But then he caught a pair of tearful turquoise eyes from the small crowd. He grinned at her, sadly, knowing that this would be the last time he would see her like this.

"Hi," he said, approaching her.

"Hi," Lime replied in kind.

"You'll take care of him won't you?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.

"Of course I will," said Gohan, giving her a winning smile, "Someones got to keep that kid of ours out of trouble."

Lime chuckled, although a tear escaped her, so that it rolled quickly down her cheek.

The halfling caught it with his thumb, brushing it away before pulling her into a fierce hug. Struggling to hold back tears of his own, Gohan held his best friend to him like he had done so many times.

"I'll protect him, I promise."

"You'd better," came her muffled reply from his robe, "Or I'll kick your arse to kingdom come, superhero or not."

He let out a snort of laughter, before she pulled away from him, a smile playing on her lips. "And please try not to screw things up with Videl, she actually sounds great from what your Mum's been telling me."

"I'll try my best," he smiled, a sudden pang of guilt striking him, "Will you be alright?"

The red head nodded, biting her lip as she tapped a finger to her head, "Just don't ever give up trying to get through yeah? I'm sure it will happen one day."

"Never," he stated boldly, giving her one last look before turning to the Kai's.

"Are you ready?" The Supreme Kai asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he said with a wide grin, although he felt the nerves churning away in his stomach.

Gohan gave the gang one last sweeping glance before the deity spoke again.

"Kibito will take you to Earth via instantaneous movement," Shin explained, "May the Gods be with you, young saiyan."

"It's about time," the red-skinned male huffed impatiently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh come on Kibito, you can't say you haven't enjoyed having me around!" the young saiyan teased.

"It has been… interesting," Kibito replied sternly, his hand beginning to glow.

"See, I knew you'd warm up to me eventually!"

"We'll be watching kiddo," said Bulma with a smile, gesturing to the crystal ball by her feet, "Please be careful."

"No promises," he grinned back, as a tear slid down her cheek.

If it was the last time he would see them all, he wanted to remember their beaming faces and watery smiles for as long as he could. He knew the rules of death of course, his father had spoke of it way too many times for him to count on his fingers. If he died he would cease to exist, and the Z-Fighter's knew it too. Though dangerous, they had faith, they had faith that Gohan would be able to take down Majin Buu swiftly and without much difficulty. Still, he was glad that no one had informed his mother, as she would have fought Buu herself before she would have let him go.

With the memory carved into his brain, he winked at his friends, before he and Kibito were bathed in a shower of light and disappeared from the realm of the Kai's.

 **xxxx**

Piccolo sighed, exasperated.

It was the fifth time he had to clip Goten and Trunks behind the ear in the last hour. Did they want to get killed? Vegeta was no help, he had already earned himself a shattered leg from trying to intercept the mighty Majin when he had turned on Videl, and was now sulking up against a boulder away from the fray.

"I'll murder that brat when I next see him!" Vegeta had spat as he writhed on the floor in pain, "That's the last time I protect his blasted harpy!"

Piccolo couldn't believe just how a series of events could take such an unusual turn so rapidly. It was utter pandemonium. It had all begun when he and Vegeta had ducked behind the temple of The Lookout with the boys, racing towards the Hyperbolic Time Chamber when they found a rather frazzled looking Videl and a terrified Gokuto who had failed to grab onto Goku's Instant Transmission.

They had only managed one day in the Time Chamber before Buu had managed to blast apart the entrance. Luckily, the Fusion Dance had payed off, and the newly formed Gotenks was able to push the irate Majin back enough for the rest of them to escape.

Buu's power was like nothing that any of them had faced before, and Piccolo wasn't sure just how much longer they could take when the fusion had run out after thirty minutes, and the group were forced to flee to the Southern wastelands.

So there they were, a Namekian, a Saiyan prince, two mischievous half-saiyan's, a toddler and Gohan's… girlfriend? - Whatever - All facing off against the ancient Majin.

Videl was utterly beside herself, gasping in awe as Gotenks took charge of the battle.

Piccolo didn't know how he managed to restrain himself from backhanding her across the planes, the girl's interrogation and stupid questions were being to become utterly exhausting. Though, he reasoned it was because all his anger was diverted to Buu, the monster was just toying with Gotenks! It was infuriating!

The Namek was about to jump in on the fight to offer some support, when suddenly, the Majin stopped. Gotenks froze too, a bright light encompassing him as he split apart into the troublesome duo once again.

Piccolo swore under his breath, awaiting Buu's next move when the brute whispered to himself ominously.

"Soon Buu, Soon."

A shiver rippled down the Namekian's spine, as suddenly, Majin Buu crossed his legs and sat himself down on the ground, closing his eyes and resting his chin on his chest.

Goten and Trunks blinked, sharing a puzzled glance as the monster appeared to fall into a deep sleep.

And that was over an hour ago.

"This is preposterous!" Vegeta growled, grasping onto his injured leg as he struggled to his feet. Trust Krillin to have accidentally taken all of the senzu beans with him in his panic to escape. "I say we attack now whilst he's off guard!"

"That wouldn't be wise Vegeta," Piccolo shot back, "We don't know what he's planning."

"Dad's right," Trunks yawned loudly, "I say we wake him up, looks like Gotenks tired him out!"

"Yeah!" chimed Goten, "We can catch him off guard, fuse just as he goes to hit us and then BAM! No more Mister Buu!"

"And that Goten, is why I keep you around," Trunks grinned, "Let's go!"

"Boys!" Videl shouted harshly after them as they raced towards the sleeping Majin.

"No! Stop it! Stop it right now!" Piccolo bellowed, starting to get a headache.

"I say we give his weird horn pull," said Goten, ignoring the irate Namekian.

"Its not a _horn_ Goten, it's an antenna," Trunks drawled as they approached the pink monster.

"Goten! Twunks! Wait for me!" Gokuto laughed happily, more than willing to join his friends now that the beast was asleep.

"Get back here all of you!" Piccolo spat angrily, causing the trio to stop in their tracks, Goten's fingers centimetres away from Buu's antenna, "Are you three insane?! We need to think about a strategy and you've wasted enough time as it is! Do you _want_ to get killed?"

"No…" they chorused.

"Then sit down and be _quiet_!" he fumed, as the boys glumly made their way back to the group, "Ugh, I'm getting too old for this."

He sighed in distain. Just once today, he wished something would go his way.

Suddenly something tingled in the base of his skull. It seemed that Buu had felt it too, as at once, the monster's head perked up, his gaze cast towards the sky. Vegeta frowned deeply, exchanging a concerned glance with the Namekian; something felt odd.

Then, all at once, there was power. Power like they had never known before hit them full force like a ton of bricks. It towered high above anything else on the planet - even though there was not much left to give off life energy.

But Piccolo couldn't make it out, the power was so _raw,_ as the person whom it belonged too wasn't bothering suppressing it or holding anything back, It stood out, gleaming like a burning beacon in the darkness.

The Namekian was suddenly worried, was it friend or foe? Goku had disappeared with the others, surely he couldn't have come back to help them?

"Boys, stay close," Piccolo instructed, his eyes glancing to the three hybrid's momentarily. Out the corner of his gaze, he saw Majin Buu shift slightly, standing to full attention as the power grew closer and closer.

"What is it?" asked Trunks, now standing.

"I think its a person!" said Goten.

"What's going on?" Videl huffed, squinting as she peered up into the sky, "What are you all staring at?!"

Gokuto, however, was the only one that remained silent, emerald eyes wide as a figure came into view in the distance. Piccolo gritted his teeth, stepping in front of the trio protectively.

When suddenly, he felt it - it couldn't be. It was so familiar, and the green-skinned warrior couldn't believe he had missed it.

"Daddy!" Gokuto cheered, bouncing up and down in excitement.

Gohan.

Piccolo smiled, relief and anticipation flooding his being. He really wasn't imagining things. The figure approaching them was unmistakable, it was his old friend, hurtling through the sky like a speeding bullet towards them.

"Gohan!" Goten and Trunks chorused with glee, as the spec in the sky grew bigger and Gohan's figure grew closer.

He flew overhead without a word, skidding on the hardened earth before coming to a halt. Dust picked up around them as he landed, and Piccolo couldn't believe what he was seeing. The look on the teenager's face was hardened with malice as he stared down at the Majin creature. He was dressed in the same ceremonial garb as the Kai's, though with a few Gohan-like alterations that Piccolo noticed as his tail waved freely from underneath the purple robes. His long black hair wavered in the breeze, his onyx eyes wide and fixed.

He looked like Gohan, but a much more grown up version of the teenager that Piccolo had seen die before his eyes mere hours ago.

Slowly, the young saiyan turned his head, flashing them a familiar wicked grin, "Heard you were having a spot of trouble with a magical ancient monster, mind if I cut in?"

 **xxxx**

"Gohan!" his younger brother yelled, leaping onto his chest and clutching onto him for dear life.

It was good to see them, banged up a little but still very much alive. The halfling smiled, watching his son's emerald eyes grow wide at the sight of him, tears streaming freely down his cheeks.

In a flash, Gohan was nearly bowled over as Gokuto tackled him, wrapping his arms securely around his neck and knocking Goten flying.

"Daddy! You're here Daddy, you're here!" the little boy cried, nuzzling his cheek against his.

"Hi there kiddo, I've missed you, where have you been eh?" Gohan grinned, kissing the toddler on his messy head before placing him back on the ground.

"Gohan, we all thought that you were dead!" said Goten in awe, dusting himself off.

The teenager chuckled, "Still dead bro, check out the halo."

"Ohhh…" chorused Goten and Trunks, looking a little bashful.

Vegeta scoffed, his obsidian orbs staring at the young saiyan's attire, "So, the Kai sent us a dead brat to save us all? What a waste of time."

"Oi!" Gohan protested, "I don't see you doing anything useful!"

"If you haven't already noticed you dolt," the prince spat, "I've already been crippled by defending your idiotic mate, who cant seem to grasp the simple concept of Instant Transmission!"

Gohan blinked, wondering what on earth he was talking about when -

 **SLAP**

"OH HI GOHAN! OR SHOULD I SAY _GOLD FIGHTER_?!"

Oh shit.

The teenager stumbled back, his cheek stinging as he was caught off guard by the fierce sapphire gaze of none other than Videl Satan.

What the bloody hell was she doing here?!

"What? Got nothing to say have you?" she seethed, "struggling to think of how to worm your way out of this one are you?!"

"Videl I-"

"So what? You think its alright to _sleep_ with me and then I hear nothing from you for nearly a year?!" Videl growled, placing her hands on her hips in anger.

Gohan cringed, knowing that his friends and family were watching intently from above. Ooh his mother wasn't going to like this one.

"And then only to _lie_ to my _face_ when I meet you at the tournament!" she continued, her eyes flashing in anger, "I thought you were different Gohan!"

"H-how did you find out?" he winced, slightly afraid of the answer.

"Apart from the fact that I saw you transform in front of everyone?" she scoffed, "The _sodding_ SENZU BEAN you idiot! I knew it was you!"

He cringed, "Videl I'm sorry I-"

"And then, then you have the absolute nerve to go and _die_ on me!" Gohan was surprised to see tears appear in her eyes, as she started to smack him hard in the chest, "You idiot!" **SMACK** "Stupid!" **WACK** "Arse!" **HIT** "Tosser!"

"Videl calm down -!" The teenager cried frantically, grasping her hands before a whirring sound reached his ears.

"Look out!" Piccolo roared, but Gohan had already phased out, sensing the attack quickly and reappearing midair with his arm protectively around Videl's middle.

The girl gasped, as a sizzling fuchsia beam careened off into the distance, scorching the ground they were just standing on. Gohan glared towards the sadistic Majin, who had obviously gotten tired of waiting.

Setting a rather shocked Videl down gently as they landed, the teenager growled, "Everyone, get as far away from here as fast as you can."

"Pfft, and what makes you think we should start taking orders from you?" Vegeta barked, before a ear shattering scream escaped Buu's chest, and the manic monster shot towards the awaiting halfling.

"GOHAN!" Piccolo yelled, a sonic boom echoing around the mountainous planes as Buu's fist was quickly blocked by Gohan's palm.

The Majin's eyes widened in shock, "B-buu?"

"Aw don't cry," the teenager smirked, his hand wrapping tightly around the monster's fist, "It'll be over soon."

 **BOOM**

The sound of Gohan's elbow connecting with Buu's skull ricocheted over the valleys, leaving a hefty dent in the monster's gelatinous flesh.

 **THWACK**

The teenager made no hesitation in following up in his attack, grasping tightly onto Buu's antennae and spinning him around effortlessly in a circle. The pink monster screamed, as Gohan let go, flinging him off into the distance with impressive speed before firing a bright yellow energy beam that connected with the ancient beast and exploded in a shower of brilliant light.

Piccolo stared, his mouth gaping open, along with the other's on the ground.

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" Vegeta roared at them, "You heard him, lets get the hell out of here!"

"BUUUUUUUU!" The monster screamed as the smoke began to dissipate.

Gohan snorted, he should have known that that kind of blast would've done nothing to damage Buu, the teenager was merely testing out his strength. And damn did it feel good to get some revenge on the beast.

Hot steam erupted from the many holes in Buu's skin as the monster was filled with rage. His fuchsia eyes narrowed, licking his lips at the halfling before he careened towards him once more, bursts of manic laughter echoing in his ears.

But Gohan was ready, sharp eyes watching intently as the Majin curled himself up into a ball, gathering speed as he made a beeline towards him. Gritting his teeth, the teenager stopped him in his tracks with one hand, creating a sonic boom, and with an almighty cry did his boot connect with the Buu ball and send the monster flying into a nearby mountainside, causing a large crack to appear down the middle, rocks and debris exploding into the air.

"GOOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!" Goten and Trunks cheered, though their glee was short lived, as in a flash, did the monster appear in front of the young saiyan once more, purple blood dripping down his chin, making him look all the more terrifying.

"How the hell did he get so powerful?" Vegeta blinked, his obsidian orbs fixated on the teenager.

Piccolo shrugged, positively awestruck, the kid wasn't even a super saiyan and he was picking Buu apart!

With a Ki blast to the face, Gohan was thrown backwards, attempting to shake himself out of it as Majin Buu aimed a hard punch to his gut. The teenager tensed, undeterred, as he followed up in his own attack, parrying Buu's next punch and phasing behind him before delivering a spinning kick to his side.

Buu cried out, more steam erupting from his body as Gohan pushed the gaseous matter out of him with his fists. The ancient monster hit back as they phased in and out across the planes, mountains crumbling into nothing but dust from the sheer force of their attacks. The small group on the ground had to duck and run for cover, as gold and fuchsia beams of energy crossed paths, narrowly missing each other as the two titans fought on.

"MASENKO-!" Gohan roared, clasping his hands above his head and gathering an enormous amount of bright yellow Ki in his palms.

But he didn't have chance to release it, as Majin Buu phased in front of him, opening his mouth wide to reveal a crackling ball of black energy brewing within his throat.

The teenager yelped, abandoning his attack and using all his strength to clamp the monster's jaw tightly shut. Gohan could feel the scorching heat radiating from the monsters lips as Buu's eyes widened, the blast exploding within him, sending steam screaming through his steam holes, though unfortunately it did no permanent damage.

Gohan gritted his teeth as a slightly singed Buu floated in front of him. He swore under his breath, this bastard was going to be as difficult to beat as he thought.

"BUU KILL YOU! BUU KILL YOU! BUU MAKE YOU DEAD!" The monster screamed with murderous intent.

The wind suddenly picked up around them as they floated in midair.

Gohan raised an eyebrow, "Well you're going to have to try a lot harder than that, I'm already dead."

The Majin growled, narrowing his eyes at the young saiyan, "You won't exist."

The teenager blinked in surprise. That was the first real sentence he had heard Buu speak, and it did nothing but send shivers down his spine.

Gohan didn't have time to react, as Buu phased in front of him quicker than his eye could see. Spitting out a wad full of blood and saliva, the young saiyan drew his palms up as quickly as he could and with a hard blow delivered a hammer fist to Buu's neck, causing the monster to let out another wail of frustration as he was sent tumbling to the floor.

The brute caught himself before he hit the ground, baring his teeth in anger as the young saiyan landed in front of him. Gohan panted, clutching onto his side, annoyed at himself for being caught off guard. Though he had no time to catch his breath, as Majin Buu clambered to his feet, ready to pounce on the halfling.

But Gohan wasn't going to let him land a hit so easily.

With an almighty roar, did the teenager raise his Ki, clouds of dust erupting around his form, causing the monster to take a step back at the halfling's power. Distracted, it allowed Gohan to sweep his leg from underneath him and follow up with a spinning back kick to the monster's face.

Buu made a horrific gurgling sound as his jaw caved inwards, and Gohan used his fist to back hand the brute back across the planes, causing Buu to land in a pitiful heap on the ground.

"What's the matter Buu Buu?" the teenager taunted phasing out so that once again he was stood above him, "I thought you said something about wiping my existence?"

The Majin growled, saliva spurting from his mouth as he clambered back upright, "Buu kill you! What Buu say, Buu do!"

His eyes narrowed, his thick palms stretching wide as two circular orbs spun wildly in his fists. The teenager braced himself for the impact, crossing his arms over his head ready to deflect the blast.

But it did not come.

Gohan didn't know just how he didn't sense her hurtling towards them, or how someone like Piccolo or Vegeta didn't stop her. He reasoned that they were probably too focussed on the fight at hand when suddenly Videl Satan appeared out of nowhere.

The teenager couldn't decide if what she did next was either very brave, or very stupid.

"Oh no you don't!" She roared, her boot connecting fiercely with the side of Buu's skull.

"Videl no!" Gohan cried, as her eyes widened in horror, her attack having no effect on the monster.

Buu sniffed, the orbs in his palms dissipating as he cocked his head towards her.

"Die."

"VIDEL!" The young saiyan yelled, as Majin Buu raised a hand towards her.

Videl yelped, as the young saiyan suddenly phased in front of her, blocking Buu's attack, causing the sphere of pink energy to careen off into the distance where it exploded in a shower of light. Videl was blown back by the sheer force, though Piccolo quickly caught her before she hit the ground.

Gohan seethed, as Buu began to cackle manically, "Don't you dare touch her!"

The girl was dazed, gasping for breath as she was clearly winded, scarlet blood dripping from her mouth as his mentor laid her down on the ground where a worried Goten and Trunks bounded over to her. The sight made the young saiyan boil with rage, his tail flickered angrily behind him as his figure was suddenly engulfed in his white aura.

"KAMEHAMEHA!" Gohan roared, gathering the white hot ball of blue energy in his palms and sending it hurtling towards Buu.

The teenager swore, as he caught sight of the monster phasing out before the blast hit. Letting the blast go, it exploded in a shower of light above him… though now he couldn't sense Buu -

 **SLAM**

Gohan yelped, as a pink blur connected with his torso, sending his head reeling from the force of his brain hitting the inside of his skull. He skidded hopelessly on the ground as the ancient monster dragged him through the soil, hitting the back of his head on sharp rocks as he went.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Buu bellowed, flinging the teen away from him by the scruff of his neck so that he went flying into a nearby boulder.

The boulder turned to rubble as his spine hit the rock, sending tremors throughout his bones.

"Fucking reckless," the young saiyan growled at himself under his breath, shaking the hair out of his eyes as he struggled to his feet.

"I know I know," he said gruffly up towards the sky, thinking of his mother and father watching, "Language, _sorry_."

The teenager gritted his teeth, as the monster floated back to towards him, grinning like a madman as the dents in his body previously inflicted by the young saiyan popped back into shape. Majin Buu was as good as new.

Gohan growled, and powering up, flew back up into the air where he was sure that no one else would be stupid or brave enough to interfere.

"Fun. Fun, fun, fun," Buu chimed childishly, following him, "Buu waited for you. But you not boy. You not saiyan. BUU SAY BYE BYE!"

Gohan didn't have time to contemplate just what the hell the brute was talking about, when the ancient beast fired a blast without warning, the swirls of black and fuchsia energy flying towards the teen with impressive speed. The teenager made to dodge it, when a small blur appeared in front of him, causing Gohan's eyes to widen in disbelief.

It was Gokuto, floating in mid air with his palms outstretched as he defended his father, his emerald eyes more fierce than Gohan had ever seen them. The toddler yelled, a translucent shield erupting from his palms and creating a solid barrier between them and Buu.

The monster's beam hit with a tremendous force, though Gokuto didn't budge. Instead, the little saiyan growled with rage, causing the energy to bounce off the invisible force and hit Buu with his own attack. The monster roared in anger, before the top half of his body disintegrated in an instant.

Gohan blinked in shock, "G-Gokuto?!"

His son ignored him, blowing a raspberry at the ancient titan, "Serves you right! Leave my Daddy alone!"

"Gokuto get back here!" the teenager yelled, panic-stricken as he scrambled forwards and gathered the little boy up in his arms.

The bottom of Majin Buu's body wiggled furiously in mid air, before a loud **POP!** reached their ears, and Buu's head remoulded, his arms springing back out of his newly formed torso.

The young saiyan cringed, no matter how many times he saw it, he would never get used to regeneration.

"You…" Buu growled, a sausage-like finger pointing at the small boy in Gohan's arms, "Buu want! BUU WANT! BUU KILL!"

"'Kuto, fly back down!" Gohan roared, as he felt the monster's Ki dramatically increase. Buu began to scream, the raging winds his power up was creating causing his cloak to flap heavily in the breeze.

"But Daddy I can't fly!" Gokuto gasped, his eyes watering as he looked up at him.

"What?!" Gohan spluttered, dumfounded, "But you just flew up here!"

"No I didn't!"

"Well how the hell did you-?" The teenager started, "Forget it, 'Kuto just go to Uncle Piccolo!"

"No! I wanna stay with you!"

"Great Kami Gokuto, you are so going on the naughty step when we get home."

Ignoring the child's protests, the young saiyan focussed on Buu's power. Just what was he trying to pull? The skies darkened dramatically, black clouds emitting electrifying streaks of lightening across the entire planes. The remaining mountains around them shuddered, before crumpling into nothingness. Tornado's began to spring up in all directions, creating desolation in their path as Buu emitted another blood curdling cry, a gigantic blast gathering rapidly in his palm. The beast cackled, drawing on his dark powers as the blast continued to multiply in size.

"GOHAN!" Piccolo cried, appearing to the side of him with a worried expression, "That blast is enough to destroy the Earth ten times over! Something's really pissed him off, we have to move!"

"Destroy the Earth?!" Videl cried, being carried by Goten.

Trunks steadied his father too, both of them wearing hardened expressions.

Gohan gulped, his eyes darting from his little boy to the manic monster, before he came to his senses and took off behind the others.

He knew flying away was futile, but it was all he could think to do as Majin Buu finally released the blast upon the Earth, destroying everything in its wake. He could hear Videl scream as the bright fuchsia glow began to engulf them.

He was going to die for the second time, wiped from existence forever. The other's could be wished back to life when it was over. _If_ it was ever going to be over.

He clutched onto Gokuto tightly, filling his mind with happy memories. The smiling faces on the Kai's planet, kissing Videl, the smell of his sons hair…

A bright white light blinded him as an incredible power filled his senses, and suddenly Gohan felt as though he was hurtling through a tunnel. His muscles squeezed and tensed, wind whistled past his ears as he felt as though he was being forced through something very small.

At first he thought it was the beginning of the end, yet he could still feel Gokuto wrapped securely in his arms, the shouts and yells of Vegeta, Piccolo, Videl, Goten and Trunks ringing in his ears.

Then suddenly, it stopped, and Gohan was fully aware of hitting the solid ground with an audible **THUD.**

"OW! Mother f-!" the teen yelped, his backside incredibly sore.

His eyes widening, he quickly looked down at his son, who was still buried into his chest. But there was something off, the boy was quivering, ever so gently. The enormous power he had sensed quickly diminished, as soon as he looked up.

Gohan frowned, thinking that his eyes must be playing tricks on him as a strange blueish hue faded from the toddlers cheeks, "'Kuto, did you-?"

"Gohan!" his father's voice reached his ears.

Gohan blinked, he was back on the Kai's planet, the beautiful violet sky hanging above him. He heard the other's groan from the ground beside him. He whirled around, only to greet the faces that he thought he would never see again.

And thats when it dawned on him. He was still here, but Earth was gone.

"Gohan! How did you do that?" Goku gasped, running over to him.

The young saiyan frowned, "Do what? What the hell happened?"

"Extraordinary," said the Supreme Kai a mixture of awe and concern in his eyes, "Somehow, you managed to create a rift between this dimension and yours, safely landing you here and avoiding Earth's destruction. I only know of beings that possess magical qualities are able to do it. How did you do it Gohan?"

"Me?" Gohan gaped, his eyes darting to Gokuto "But I didn't-"

He was interrupted, suddenly, as a small sob was heard from behind him. The teenager spun around quickly only to see his best friend staring at them with tears in her eyes. But not because of him, no. But because of the little boy he was cradling in his arms. _Their_ little boy.

"H-he's so big," she mustered, taking a step forwards. Chi-Chi carefully took her shoulder and steadied her, a sad smile playing on her lips.

The young saiyan looked down at the boy, who was still curled up tightly to his chest, to him he was still a baby, so small and fragile, something he never wanted to let go of ever again. But to Lime, who had last seen him when he was but a week old, he must have looked so grown up.

"'Kuto," Gohan cooed gently, as Lime tentatively approached, looking so unsure of herself. "'Kuto its alright, Mummy's here look. Why don't you say hi to her?"

Gokuto lifted his head ever so slightly, his face was back to normal, to Gohan's relief, yet he still looked at him with those frightful emerald eyes. The teenager sighed, stroking his hair in comfort, scooting over so that Lime could kneel next to him.

"Mummy wants to see you Gokuto," he said again, the boy's gaze growing curious.

Slowly, he titled his head, so that his eyes clapped onto his mother's.

"Mummy?" he asked, unsure.

Lime nodded, letting her tears fall,"H-hello sweetie."

"Why are you sad?" Gokuto blinked, wrapping his tail around her wrist in comfort.

"I'm not sad baby," she sniffed, "I'm happy, because I'm talking to you."

Gohan smiled at her, urging her forward.

"C-can Mummy have a hug?" Lime croaked, picking up the small boy almost immediately as he nodded in response.

Gohan could have cried with her, as the girl cradled their son, her tears dropping onto his messy hair as she pulled him to close to her heart.

"Oh Gokuto," Lime whispered, as the boy clung onto her, "I've missed you so much."

The teenager felt like joining in on the family hug, when he felt all eyes upon him.

"Supreme Kai," Gohan spoke, feeling guilty, "I-I'm sorry, Earth. I-"

"We have dragonballs for that," the godly being replied with a small smile, "Not to worry Gohan, there's nothing more to be done. Buu has finally been destroyed, he knew there was no way to compare to your power, so of course, like the madman that he is, he destroyed himself."

The young saiyan bit his lip, looking down at his hands.

"Do not fret my friend," Dende said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I'm positive Elder Moori will allow us to use the Namekian dragonballs to restore the Earth, please, do not blame yourself."

Gohan looked up at his old friend.

"Thanks Dende," he replied, but he couldn't help but feel as though he had failed them all again.

"Hey don't beat yourself up kiddo, you did great out there!" said Krillin, clapping him on the back.

"Yeah you picked Buu apart! No wonder he threw such a fit!" Yamcha laughed.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Old Kai chirped from behind them, making his way over to Lime and peering down at Gokuto, "Hm, so this is Gohan's boy? Interesting."

"What's interesting?" asked Gohan.

"Why his power of course!" He huffed, his beady black eyes darting all over the child's form, "Yes, it certainly is unusual."

Gokuto pouted as the deity continued to stare, clutching onto Lime's shirt more tightly.

"That's what we've always thought," Bulma quipped, all heads turning towards her, "But it's the mixture of saiyan and human blood. Trunks and Goten can both turn super saiyan already."

"Saiyan and human blood indeed," Old Kai mumbled to himself, "One quarter saiyan and three quarters human is he?"

"That's right," frowned Gohan, "But what's that got to do with anything?"

"Just an observation," The Elder Kai smiled knowingly, before turning to the teenager, "Have you noticed anything unusual about his Ki?"

Behind him The Supreme Kai gasped, "Venerable Elder, surely you can't be suggesting - "

"His Ki?" Gohan blinked, sharing a worried glance with Lime, who held the boy closer to her, "He just feels like Lime and I."

"Ah I see," Old Kai continued thoughtfully, "Then perhaps it's down to his power why Majin Buu showed such an interest in him."

The teenager frowned, he too had noticed Majin Buu's sudden obsession with the child. Once Gokuto had entered the fight, the ancient beast seemed a lot more interested in Gokuto than himself. Babidi and Checha too. But that still didn't mean he understood why the Old Kai was staring at Gokuto like that.

"Old Kai," the young saiyan started, "I don't understand-"

"Have you ever wondered why Babidi and his cronies are so interested in the saiyan race?" The celestial being interrupted.

"Er, no, not really," Gohan admitted, looking at his father who merely shrugged.

"It's because Majin Buu and the Saiyan's go back a very very long way, and have a very important history that I think you will all find interesting," he continued, "Supreme Kai? I think you're most adapt at telling the tale, seen as you were the one who created the saiyan's for the sole purpose of destroying Majin Buu."

"WHAT?!" Gohan and the rest of the gang gaped, the teenager was so shocked he almost fell over.

"Okay, what the bloody hell is a saiyan?" Videl suddenly shouted, "And who are you? And where are we?!"

The teenager gave her a sympathetic smile, as Shin spoke solemnly, "Forgive me for not saying anything before Gohan, I did not want to overload you with information before your fight. But now that Majin Buu has gone I think you all have a right to know. Please, take a seat, it is a rather long story."


	36. Buu's Fury

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

 **Buu's Fury**

 **xxxx**

 **Thousands of Years Before Age, Planet Sadal**

East Supreme Kai sighed, his beetle black eyes searching the turquoise skies of the lush green planet.

He was late.

Again.

No doubt off on another pointless training exercise with his young comrades. The Kai sighed again, exchanging a glance with his trusted Kibito, who was getting increasingly agitated by the saiyan cub's lack of proper time keeping.

"My humblest apologies my dear Kai," the saiyan known as Pera bowed, "I am certain the young prince has just been delayed."

Kibito made a noise of disapproval as the Kai ensured the male attendant that all was well, and that they could wait a few more moments. The view, after all was rather beautiful. Huts built out of stone and silk cloth stood beneath the large stone temple of worship, which was to be their meeting place that evening. Glistening lakes and rivers glistened in the glow of the two setting suns that overlooked the beautiful planet.

The saiyan's had done well, the Kai marvelled, after he had given them life no more then forty years earlier. He couldn't believe that over half a century had passed already. Bibidi's rein over the galaxies was more dominant than ever, his control over the now so called Majin Buu unwavering.

Which is why The East Kai had come to his decision. It was a hard one to make yes, but none the less he knew his student would be ready to take on the challenge early.

As if on cue, the Kai caught a flash of gold upon the horizon, and soon enough did the young saiyan in question appear before them, dropping to one knee and bowing his head in respect.

"Forgive me Supreme Kai for my tardiness," the cub of no more than sixteen years spoke, "My comrades and I were training the younger cubs in the gorge, I know that your teaching's suggest that I help prepare my brothers in arms."

"That is quite alright young saiyan," the Kai replied with a soft smile, "Your quest is admirable after all."

The boy's head perked up, his striking emerald green eyes meeting his as he smiled back. Green eyes were a most unusual trait for a saiyan, the species dominant in dark brown to obsidian pigmentation in their eyes and hair. Though, the Kai, having created the boy especially for a purpose, chose to allow a gene mutation to take place in order for him to stand out from the rest - that way, he could be easily spotted amongst the sea of saiyans if he needed to drop in for a flying visit. The prince, after all, was not one to stay put in his royal quarters so readily.

Ah yes, he had spent years waiting for the moment when a saiyan would show a great potential that he could harness, yet alas, as strong as the race was they were no closer to providing a warrior close enough to rival Buu. Times were beginning to get desperate, so when two barren saiyan's who the race had dubbed their King and Queen had prayed to him for a child, he knew he had to take his chance, and create a cub that would be trainable.

It was an excellent opportunity that he knew he couldn't pass up. The boy would be born into the royal clan, and have access to the greatest trainers in his absence.

The Kai was proud of the pure hearted young cub he had become, the saiyan was dressed in his usual armour and robes that represented his clan, comprised of golden and white cloth and a sliver bodice. His jet black hair stood on end, wavering slightly in the breeze as dusk steadily approached the planet.

"Come young prince," East Kai instructed, leading him into the temple, "We have much to discuss."

The young saiyan followed in his wake, as the Kai led them to a large room made of the finest stone on the planet. Great structures lined the walls, along with a statue of the East Supreme Kai himself, the saiyan word for 'creator' etched into the stone beneath.

Making sure that they were alone, and the saiyan attendant long gone, the Kai turned to look at the cub with a solemn expression, "Let's cut straight to business. I am sure you are aware that Bibidi and his minions have entered the Eastern Quadrant."

"I am master," the saiyan prince bowed his head, "I have already sensed their presence. Though I have yet to inform the King and Queen, until given your command."

"Excellent," the purple-skinned deity smiled, before his features grew stern, "Then I am sure you are aware that Majin Buu will not be far behind him."

"I have pondered this great possibility," he replied boldly, "And have prepped my strongest warriors for battle if needed."

"Ah, I thought you might have done," said the Kai, "But what I wanted to ask was if _you_ were ready young cub?"

The young saiyan sighed in defeat, his green eyes cast heavily towards the floor, "I have not yet accomplished my purpose Supreme Kai, I am not yet strong enough."

"But you are," he soothed, causing the cub to frown, "The super saiyan transformation comes in response to a need, not a desire. You have to create that need."

"With all do respect my creator, I _need_ to put an end to this madness!" the saiyan replied hotly, "You said it yourself that it is what I was born to do! What I was created for! But for some reason I cannot fathom how to achieve the transformation!"

"It will come," East Kai said softly, "But I am afraid I may need you to face off Majin Buu before you are able to achieve it."

The young saiyan's eyes widened, though he quickly composed himself, "How long?"

"I'm afraid I can't be certain," he admitted, "Though you must come with me to our most sacred realm as a matter of urgency, we must train you as we would a God, only then will you be able to finally put an end to Bibidi and Buu's madness."

"Forgive me Supreme Kai, but how do I train like a God?" he wondered somewhat breathlessly.

"My dear cub," The Supreme Creator smiled warmly, "Have you ever heard of the Z-Sword?"

 **xxxx**

 **The Sacred Realm of The Kai's, Age 774**

"So he wasn't able to pull out the sword?" Gohan asked, listening to the story intently.

The Supreme Kai shook his head, "No he was not, though I believe it was because he hadn't achieved the transformation at that point."

"But he was able to achieve it in the end right?" Goku pondered, as the Kai nodded in confirmation.

"Indeed, he was. He faced off Bibidi, Majin Buu and their accomplices with his saiyan comrades for decades. He did this until one furious battle, where one of the saiyan's; a very beautiful female who he had taken as his mate, was brutally slaughtered by the beast. His power exploded, his rage was so great that he unleashed every inch of his power and transformed into the great golden oozaru - a more primitive state of the super saiyan that you know of today."

"And ended up destroying himself," Vegeta finished, causing all heads to turn towards him, "The legend is still the same Kai, whether you had a part to play in it or not, every saiyan knows what happened."

"Ah," the Kai continued, "But what you may not know his that the super saiyan grew so powerful that he was able to draw on the powers of Bibidi himself, along with the life energy of the surrounding planets. Majin magic and saiyan blood is a frightful combination, one so great that the super saiyan was able to bring Buu down to his knees. Unfortunately, the saiyan was too powerful, so uncontrolled that he had to be destroyed."

"You killed him?" Goten gasped, horrified.

"Heavens no," The Kai informed them, his features suddenly darkening, "Understand this, I created the super saiyan like I would my successor, he was created for a purpose. I respected him and honoured him like I would my own kin. You have my fellow Gods to thank for his destruction, but alas that is another story for another time."

"So that's why Buu was intent on killing Gohan and Gokuto!" Krillin exclaimed, "He had it in for the saiyan's for defeating him!"

"He must have only recognised them for their tails," Yamcha quirked, "They're the only saiyan's with one!"

"This is surreal," Videl said aloud, her sapphire eyes not leaving Gohan.

"Tch you young ones," the Old Kai huffed, "No sense at all."

"Ancestor…" The Supreme Kai spoke in warning, yet he stopped short, his eyes widening in horror, "Kibito, did you feel that?"

"I'm afraid so master," the red-skinned deity replied.

"What is it?" asked Goku, frowning.

Shin gulped, "Buu is still alive."

"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaimed.

"How?! He blew himself up!" Gohan yelled, his stomach lurching uncomfortably, "You're telling me he survived that blast?"

"The crystal ball!" Master Roshi cried, "Quickly, check it!"

At once, Gohan and the other's raced over, and were horrified at what they found. Sure enough, there was the vast emptiness of space that the Earth used to occupy. There was nothing surrounding it, no moon, no sun… there was nothing but what looked like a splatter of pink goo that seemed to intertwine together, growing and growing until -

"BUU!"

Gohan slammed a fist on the ground in anger, causing the entire planet to shake.

"Damn it!" the teenager swore, ignoring the fact that several of his friends had fallen over, "I can't believe he's still alive! That bastard!"

"Oh no," the Kai crumbled, "If Buu survived such a powerful explosion like that, how are we ever going to defeat him?!"

Gohan was transfixed by the monster, who disappeared in an instant, reappearing on Jupiter before destroying it in a flash of fuchsia light.

"Saiyan, saiyan, saiyan!" He screamed, over and over as he continued to purge.

"This isn't good!" Krillin cried.

"No!" his father yelled, as solar system after solar system vanished before their eyes, "at this rate they'll be nothing left."

The Kai's were distraught, as the young saiyan felt millions of lives extinguish across the galaxy.

Gohan gritted his teeth, knowing what he needed to do.

"Then I'll just have to bring him to me," the teenager said boldly, as everyone turned to look at him.

"Gohan don't be silly! You can't fight him!" his mother cried, but Gohan shook his head.

"Look, I'm the only one who can stand up to him right now, it has to be me," he stated, his onyx eyes hardening.

"But Gohan-," Videl started, yet she was promptly interrupted by the old Kai.

"He's has a point," the Old Kai said, drawing his attention, "Buu is looking for Gohan and Gokuto, sensing spirits that are stronger than average in a bid to find them. Somehow, he can sense you're still out there somewhere. He wants you both wiped from existence that's for certain."

"If it's a saiyan he wants then he'll get all of us, isn't that right Vegeta?" said Goku, surprising the halfling as he stood next to him, clapping a hand on his shoulder, "There's no way I'm going to let my son fight that monster alone."

"Stop the sickening comradery Kakarot," Vegeta scoffed, getting to his feet also, "I'm just itching to give this pest what he deserves -a real challenge."

Goku chuckled, "Well in that case, Gotenks should fight too."

"We can?!" Goten and Trunks chorused, looking as though Christmas had come early.

"Absolutely not!" Chi-Chi shrieked, causing everyone, including the Kai's to clamp their hands over their ears, "My baby boys have been through enough for one day thank you very much! There is no way in HFIL that I'm going to let you make Goten fight!"

"But Chi-Chi," Goku reasoned, "It's to save the universe, and Goten wants to fight, don't you Goten?"

Gohan blinked as his little brother nodded furiously, determination in his obsidian eyes. The young saiyan found himself having a flashback to when he was Goten's age and wanted to fight instead of study.

"Please Mummy! Uncle Vegeta and Auntie Bulma are letting Trunks fight!" the boy protested.

"This isn't a game sweetheart," the ox-princess sniffed, getting down on her knees and grasping her youngest tightly, "I don't want to loose you too."

"You won't Mummy!" Goten beamed, "Gohan will look after me, won't you big brother?"

The teenager sighed, he didn't really want his little brother involved, but Gotenks' power was certainly one to be reckoned with, and with Buu's current fury, they might just need all the help they can get.

Slowly, he nodded, offering his brother a supportive smile, "You got it snot face."

"Oh why do I have to be blessed with super powered children?!" his mother sobbed, grasping them both in a fierce hug.

"Right on sister," said Lime, punching a fist in the air.

"I swear Goku if anything happens to them-!"

"They'll be fine Chi," the deceased warrior smiled softly, "We'll all stick together."

"Damn straight," said Yamcha, the Z-Fighter's standing in unison, "We're not just going to let you saiyan's have a good crack at Buu."

"I agree," Piccolo smirked, his eyes averting to Gohan, "Besides, I have a personal score to settle with that monster."

"We'll have to think of a plan," Tien said firmly, his wife looking towards him worriedly, "We can't just go all out at Buu."

"You're right," Eighteen nodded in affirmation, before turning to the group, "You lot had better suppress your energy so he doesn't find us before we get the chance."

"Well you had better hurry up," Old Kai sprouted, "Buu has already found his way to Otherworld."

"B-but how did he even get up here?" His father gasped in horror.

"Majin magic no doubt," The Supreme Kai spat venomously, "Because of it, Buu is able to rip apart dimensions at whim."

The group stared at him hopelessly.

"Alright! Who wasn't suppressing their power level?!" Vegeta spat, looking around him, "Brat! I'm blaming you!"

Gohan gaped, "Why me?!"

"Because you always do something to fuck things up!"

"Well that's not very nice…"

"Um Gohan?" Krillin piped up, pointing to the crystal ball, "You might want to see this…"

Curious, the halfling peered at the crystal ball once more, where to his horror he saw the manic Majin floating above Snake-Way. The line of clouds was a lot longer than when Gohan had last been there, he couldn't help but think that King Yemma was having some sort of a stroke right now.

The young saiyan stared, as Buu surveyed the vast yellow clouds, his fuchsia pupils flickering towards the temple.

"No Buu! Don't do it!" his father roared, as the monster began to laugh manically, a glowing black orb with pink sparks growing rapidly in his palms.

"BUUUUUUUUU!"

"NO!" The teenager yelled in desperation as the crystal ball was suddenly engulfed in a blinding flash of brilliant light.

Snake-Way, was gone. As were the billions of souls lined up on it's path. He only hoped that the souls on Earth had already passed through.

"A-all those people…gone forever…" Krillin mumbled hopelessly, the rest of the Z-Fighter's gritting their teeth in anger.

"He's looking for me," Gohan whispered, unable to take his eyes of the sudden vastness where the check in station used to be. If he wasn't dead, he was sure that his heart would be pounding relentlessly.

 _"Goku!"_

A sudden shout from above caused him to nearly jump out of his skin, it seemed the other's had heard it too, as they looked up towards the violet sky with wide eyes.

"King Kai?" his father uttered in disbelief, "Is that you?"

 _"Of course it's me!"_ The nasal voice snorted, _"Jeez you live with a guy for seven years and he doesn't even recognise your voice!"_

"Er sorry King Kai," Goku smiled apologetically, "But we're a little busy right now…"

 _"Yes I know Goku, a terrible disaster indeed,"_ King Kai said solemnly, before exclaiming, _"But all that matters is that you get Majin Buu away from Otherworld! If he destroys it, then millions upon billions of souls will be gone forever! Not to mention it will completely alter the mere fabric of the universe!"_

"An excellent point North Kai," The Supreme Kai quipped, still shaking with anger, "I have to agree that the situation is very grave indeed."

" _Hello? Who's that talking?"_ King Kai snorted, confused at the sudden interaction.

"Oh that's just The Supreme Kai, King," Goku smiled.

" _The Sup-?! WHAT?! GOKU, YOU IDIOT! WHY DIDN'T TELL ME YOU WERE WITH THE SUPREME KAI?!"_ he bellowed, before regaining his composure, _"I am so sorry to intrude Sir…"_

Goku blinked, "Well I didn't think it was that important, and besides, aren't you supposed to be 'all seeing'?"

 _"SHUT UP!"_

"Gohan," Bulma soothed, catching the uneasy look that suddenly engulfed the young saiyan's features, "are you alright?"

The teenager bit his lip in thought, relenting in the fact that he had no battle ground to face Buu upon. He had to get him away from the souls in Otherworld, but King Kai was right, to bring him here would only but the lives in danger of everyone he cared about. His tail twitched in agitation, until a thought sprang to mind.

"Supreme Kai?" he asked suddenly, "What lies between the check in station and here?"

The creation God gave him a strange look, along with everyone else, "Well above the check in station there is heaven, then above that is the Grand Kai's planet where the warriors train, above that is the realm you are standing in now. Of course there is Snake-Way, which takes you in the direction of the three Kai planets-"

" _Humph, home-wrecker,"_ King Kai scoffed from above.

"Then as I'm sure you're aware, that below Snake-Way is HFIL and the demon realm," Shin finished, eyeing him curiously.

"So with most of Snake Way gone, there's nothing left to be destroyed between there and the Kai planets unless you go up or down right?" he asked.

The Supreme Kai frowned, "I suppose you're right Gohan, but why-"

"Great!" The teenager suddenly beamed, looking towards his father expectantly, "Dad, fancy giving me a lift?"

Goku's eyes bulged out of his sockets, "Gohan, what are you doing? You can't fight Buu by yourself!"

Gohan rolled his eyes, "I can and I will, I'm not letting anyone else get hurt because of my mistakes. I already failed to stop Majin Buu on Earth, I won't bring Buu to this planet too, and I certainly won't allow any more souls to be wiped from existence."

"Only your own!" Piccolo growled, "Stick to the plan, we're all going to fight him together!"

"No you're not!" the teen spat back, "Will you listen to me for once?! Maybe the Kai's are right, and that my power is enough to defeat Majin Buu, if I let it."

"You tried that on Earth!" growled Vegeta, "And look how that ended up!"

"Look," Gohan admitted reluctantly, "If I'm honest, I didn't use anywhere near my full power because I was worried about destroying the planet."

"WHAT?!" They shrieked at him, jaws dropping to the floor in utter disbelief.

He grinned sheepishly back, "Yeah, but now the Earth is gone, I can go all out against Buu without anyone getting hurt."

"And you just expect us to stay here like sitting ducks?!" Vegeta scoffed.

The young saiyan sighed, "If Buu destroys me then feel free to step in, hopefully I can weaken him enough for you lot to finish him off."

"Gohan think about what you're saying!" His mother cried, "What do you mean _if_ Buu destroys you?! You are forbidden to go out there alone!"

"I think Majin Buu gave you a knock to the head," Lime scoffed, hoisting a confused looking Gokuto onto her hip, "You're talking like a bloody nutcase!"

"The other's are right!" The Supreme Kai started, "This is a time for strategy Gohan, not blind heroics!"

"It's my decision to make!" Gohan yelled, "Look, I'm sorry you feel that way, but I'm not going to let anyone else get hurt because of me ever again."

"Gohan…" his father whispered, struggling with himself.

"Well?" the teen looked at him with piercing onyx eyes, "Are you going to take me to the edge of Snake-Way or not?"

There was a tense silence, before Goku finally shook his head, "No Gohan, we need to think of a plan. You're not going out there before we've figured something out!"

"Fine," Gohan spat harshly, glaring at his father before turning to a certain red-skinned deity, "Kibito? How about it?"

Kibito blinked, his beetle black eyes glancing at The Supreme Kai. The Kai stared at them for a moment, before giving a stiff nod of approval, allowing Kibito to put a firm hand on the young saiyan's shoulder.

"You can't be serious?!" Piccolo growled, as there was a sudden outcry from the Z-gang.

"Great Kami just let him go!" Videl shouted suddenly, causing all eyes to avert to her. Gohan blinked, as she stood with her hands firmly placed on her hips, glaring at the lot of them. "The time you've all spent squabbling, Buu could have destroyed half of Otherworld by now!"

"And who the bloody hell do you think _you_ are?!" Lime growled back, "You've been here all of five minutes!"

"And it seems like I know The Gol- _ugh_ Gohan better than all of you!" she snapped, "He beat Cell didn't he? Have a little faith and just let him save the world again!"

Lime's eyes flashed with anger, "Do you _want_ him to get killed again and cease to exist?! Buu's a lot stronger than we thought!"

"Of course not!" Videl seethed, the entire gang looking back and forth between them nervously, "But he's the only chance we've got, he knows what he's doing!"

" _I've_ known Gohan since we were eleven," Lime said smugly, "I think I know when he's acting like a hotheaded prat."

"Well _I_ have fought crime with him for years," Videl shot back scathingly, "I think I know what he's capable of!"

"Oh go back home and play cops and robbers with daddy dearest!"

"Why you-!"

"Psst, Kibito," Gohan whispered, feeling a little nervous as a cat fight started between the two girls. "Do a bloke a favour?"

The red skinned deity rolled his eyes, the white glow of instantaneous movement encompassing them, "I will never understand the ways of you mortals."

The sacred realm of the Kai's was suddenly engulfed in a bright flash of light, causing the girls to cease in their row. They gasped, along with the rest of the Z-gang, as Kibito reappeared before them, Gohan no where in sight.

 **xxxx**

"Phew," the young saiyan sweated, glad he had managed to successfully avoid being caught in the middle of an all out brawl between the mother of his child and his prospective girlfriend. Well, if he could call her that. Videl had seemed incredibly pissed off with him back on Earth, yet he was elated that she had been the only one to stick up for him out of all of his friends. But didn't she mention something about him defeating Cell? Shit. How had she found out about that?

He shook himself mentally, he could dwell on that later; right now, he had bigger, pinker fish to fry.

Gohan's eyes darted around him, taking in his surroundings. Kibito had dropped him off at the very edge of Snake-Way, far away from anything and anyone. However, judging by the disintegrated mass of dirt and rock swirling above him, he concluded that it the vast space was once home to King Kai's planet.

Some of the jagged stone of Snake-Way still protruded from amongst the fluffy yellow clouds, though Gohan couldn't tell whether the remains were down to Buu or from the explosion that had killed his father seven long years ago.

Guilt immediately began to pool in the pit of his stomach, though the halfling quickly shrugged the feeling away. His tail swished around behind him as he floated in the middle of the vibrant purplish sky.

It was strangely peaceful here, and Gohan couldn't sense anything for miles.

It was the perfect space for him to give Buu a little shock.

Immediately, his white aura burst to life, creating a torrent of wind that blew the clouds out from underneath his boots. Crackles of white lightening intermingled with the young saiyan's aura as an angered scream erupted from his chest. His long ebony hair waved in the sudden breeze, his cloak picking up around him. Broken pieces of Snake-Way levitated towards his feet as the teenager gritted his teeth. The remains of King Kai's long dead planet flung towards him, encircling his being as he released swell after swell of bubbling energy.

He started to struggle to drop any more restraints, but he new he had to keep on going. He cast his mind to all the people Buu had destroyed, and how that monster's penetrating gaze leered at Gokuto. There was no way he was going to get his son. And then, he allowed his rage to overcome him, just like with Cell.

"BUU!" Gohan roared to the skies, his power reaching almighty heights as his voice seemingly amplified over the death defying storm, "I'M RIGHT HERE! COME AND GET ME YOU BIG PINK BASTARD!"

Almost immediately, did the teenager sense Buu's presence hurtling towards him.

The teenager smirked at his genius, he wouldn't be surprised if the whole of Otherworld could feel his crippling power.

In a flash, Majin Buu appeared before him, looking all the more blood thirsty than he was before. His fuchsia eyes scrutinised the young halfling, before a low growl escaped his chest, "Saiyan?"

"That's right," Gohan mused, the only sound his aura pulsating around him, "Sorry to have kept you waiting, but you're little temper tantrum back on Earth interrupted our fight. Don't worry though, I won't let that happen again."

Buu furrowed his brow, before erupting into cold, manic laughter, the sound echoing over the vastness, "You?! You fight Buu?!"

"Fight you?" Gohan smirked, "Nah, I'm going to kill you."

 **BOOM**

The monster's laughter cut short, the confusion upon his features quickly replaced by pain as the teenager slammed his fist into the centre of his face. A sonic boom ricochet over the skies as Buu's nose and mouth contorted inwards from the sheer force of the sucker punch. Buu stumbled backwards, causing the teenager's smirk to widen.

But the Majin quickly recovered, his face popping back outwards as he panted, seething at the young saiyan in front of him.

"STUPID BOY!" He roared, a fuchsia aura erupting around him, "BUU MAKE YOU PAY!"

"Come at me, ugly," Gohan growled, as the monster fired himself towards him.

They exchanged blow for blow, their fists clashing with such magnitude that it sent tremors rippling across the skies. Buu screamed as the teen drove his boot into the brute's abdomen, sending him crashing so hard into the remains of Snake-Way that the stone shattered on impact, crumbling to dust.

But Majin Buu managed to compose himself quickly, shaking his bulb-like head before careening towards the halfling, manic laughter escaping him as he flew.

 **CLASH**

Another tremor rocked the empty sky as the two titans collided, the plates within the soils of HFIL beginning to shift, creating giant crevices that caused the once proud cliff's to crumble to the ground. The skies had begun to grow steadily darker, giving off an eerie appearance to the backdrop of their battle.

"MASENKO - HAAAAAAAAAA!" Gohan's mighty cry intermingled with the whirring sound of the enormous blast that exploded from his palms.

Majin Buu grinned maliciously, holding out his palms in an attempted to stop the beam of energy. But to the monster's surprise, the power was too much for him to parry and engulfed him in a shower of light.

 **BOOM**

The blast detonated, the violet sky darkening even further from the smoke that emitted from the impact. The teenager panted as the black clouds began to clear, but Buu was nowhere to be seen.

Gohan blinked, dumbfounded how he could loose the brute in such a vast space. Clever bastard was surpassing his Ki.

"Shit!" the young saiyan yelped, as a sudden spark of energy tingled his senses. But it was too late, the Majin's long pink antennae whipped behind him, wrapping tightly around his neck in a strangling choke hold.

It seemed as though he wasn't the only one who had powered up, as the teen gasped for air, the the strong, elasticated muscles tightening against his throat. But Buu was unrelenting, as he suddenly appeared in front of him, cackling manically. Gohan abruptly found himself being flung through the air towards the monster, the wind screaming past his ears as Buu connected their skulls together with a sickening thud.

He was starting to feel dizzy, as the wicked Majin head butted him over and over, before sending him spiralling down towards the dark abyss below Snake Way. The teenager coughed, winded from the impact, having created a large crater as he landed, kicking up a long line of dirt as he went.

Gohan gasped, hardly being able to take in the blood red backdrop as he found that Buu's very long antenna was still wrapped tightly around his throat as he lay struggling in the mud. He could faintly make out the sound of heckling and petrifying screams in the distance, his mind swimming from the lack of oxygen.

The teenager new he had to act fast, or else the battle would shortly be drawing to an unfavourable conclusion. As much as his father angered him at the moment, he couldn't help but think of what he would do in such a predicament.

Without pausing for thought, Gohan grasped the pink antenna and bit down with his teeth. Hard.

Thankfully, the beast abruptly let go, his ear shattering screams could be heard high above the clouds. Thinking fast, the young saiyan fired a series of blasts up above him, each one making critical hits to the monster's flesh. For want of buying a bit of time to recover from the Majin's death grip, Gohan span on his heel, taking off in the opposite direction to Buu's started cries.

It didn't take him long realise that he was in the depths of HFIL itself. In was bitterly cold and eerie, scarlet planes spreading out for miles ahead of him. Sharp rocks protruded from the ground, casting jagged spooky looking shadows all around him.

The young saiyan couldn't help but chuckle to himself, his mother had been right after all - he really would end up in there if he wasn't careful.

Skidding around a twisting cliff face, Gohan could feel Buu following him from above, the belly of Snake-Way just about visible through the clouds, that section having survived Buu's attack. He growled, as the yellow clouds suddenly glowed a bright shade of fuchsia, and was preparing himself for the attack when he ran headlong into something.

The teenager landed on his backside with a dull thud, dust kicking up around him as he glared up at the two ogre's that towered above him. They did not look pleased.

"What do yeh fink yeh doin' down here sonny?" The red skinned brute growled. Like his comrade, he had a large bulking muscles and sharp horns a top his head.

"You were righ' Mez," the blue skinned ogre spat, tapping a giant club against his palm as he sniffed the air around the young saiyan, "E's one from upstairs."

Mez licked his lips menacingly, "Causin' a load of trouble down here ain't 'e Goz, I bet it's 'im that's causin' all those earthquakes we've been 'avin."

"Think we should lock 'im up as a punishment?" Goz replied with an excitable grin.

"Wait!" The teenager shouted desperately, he could feel Buu's power rising as he powered up the attack, "I'm not causing any trouble!"

But this only caused the pair to roar with laughter.

"That's what they all say kid," Mez chimed, "Just because you lot get to keep your bodies yeh fink yeh can just come down here when ever yeh feel like it and cause a commotion for the inmates!"

"Well that ain't happening anymore," Goz huffed angrily, "Not since tha' Goku bloke came down here for a spar with Frieza a few years ago, that clean up job was the worst I've ever seen!"

Gohan blinked, before getting annoyed, "No you're missing the point! I'm not here to fight any of the Loser's, I'm here to try and save the bloody universe!"

"Save the universe he says," Mez chuckled.

"Like we ain't heard tha' one before," chimed Goz.

The teenager felt like slapping them, "Damn it! Will you just listen?! Majin Buu is back, and I've got to stop him before he blows up the entire Otherworld!"

"Yeah righ'," Mez scoffed, "Majin Buu 'e says. What a joker."

"Sorry kid, we ain't buying it, you're gonna have to come with us to the cells and-"

"BUU!"

A sudden shriek sounded from above, causing the young saiyan to swear under his breath as a vibrant spherical ball of energy came hurtling towards them out of the clouds. Goz and Mez squealed in fright, as Gohan jumped up to meet the sphere, crossing his arms in front of his chest in order to block it. The pair of ogre's gasped in awe, their dark eyes illuminating from the fuchsia glow as the teenager's hair flew back from the high winds the blast was creating.

The hard, blood red ground cracked beneath his feet, sending tremors through the entire planes of HFIL. Cliff faces and boulders crumbled around him, a water fountain a few metres away started to sizzle from the heat, before it exploded.

By now, Gohan had attracted a lot of attention, crowds of hellions rushing towards him to investigate the source of power. Though he didn't pay them no mind, his aura crackling around him as he unleashed an almighty roar, pushing his own energy into the blast so that it exploded in a shower of light around him.

"HA HA HA! CATCH BUU IF YOU CAN!" The monster sang childishly, his silhouette just visible through the darkened clouds.

Unharmed, and with Buu's laughter ringing in his ears, the teenager gritted his teeth, kicking off from the ground and making a beeline after the manic Majin. He didn't even turn to look back at the astonished crowd behind him, as if he had, he would have seen Goz and Mez clinging onto each other for dear life, staring wide eyed at his retreating form.

"Goz?"

"Yeh Mez?"

"I fink I may have followed through."

 _Hi everyone! Hope you've all had a lovely xmas! I thought I would go ahead and post a few more chapters, which I hope you have enjoyed! I'm currently stuck in London (usually I am up north!) as I have come down with a horrible winter cold! So have literally been pigging out with xmas chocolate and cheese on the sofa whilst I recover. Hopefully I will get better soon and the next few chapters wont be far off. Love always! x_


	37. The Battle For Otherworld

_Happy new year everyone! :) its been a very busy weeks so far what with going back to uni etc. But I have managed to get on here a post a couple more chapters. Hope you all enjoy! xx_

 **Chapter Thirty-Six**

 **The Battle For Otherworld**

 **xxxx**

A sonic boom echoed over the Grand Kai's planet, the tremendous battle going down in HFIL sending bone shaking quakes throughout all of Otherworld. Lighting flashed across the darkening skies as the fight waged on, and all King Kai could do was watch helplessly along with the rest of the universe's deceased warriors.

All training had come to a halt in light of the rapidly unfolding chaos that had swept the universe caused by the newly awakened Majin Buu. The check-in station below them, along with most of Snake-Way had been completely destroyed, taking King Yemma and billions of souls with it. They would need some pretty hefty wishes from the dragonballs to sort this mess out.

The news that Buu was in Otherworld had caused an uproar, several brave warriors of the dead had volunteered themselves to take on the monster. But that was before the mysterious young man cloaked in the Kai's ceremonial garb had appeared, and subsequently started to pick Buu apart with his fists.

The Grand Kai had even commissioned a gigantic crystal ball to be set out in the ancient training grounds, allowing every occupant of his planet to watch the fight. King Kai stood next to his fellow deities, just as another bolt of lightening struck the sky. He had never seen a fight like it! And he thought Goku's boy to be extraordinary when he had faced off against Cell!

Storm winds had started to rage around them, as the image of Son Gohan flickered on the crystal ball, delivering a spinning kick to Majin Buu's skull so that he flew backwards, crashing unceremoniously into a platoon of sharp rocks deep within HFIL.

The warriors around him gasped in awe of the teenager, as he managed to sense Buu before he phased behind him, cracking his elbow into his sternum and causing the monster to cough out a wad of mucus and blood.

"A-amazing," West Kai gaped, adjusting his monocle as he stared at the scene, "How can some kid stand up to someone like Majin Buu?"

King Kai couldn't help but feel smug, "Well, he is from _my_ galaxy you know."

"Your galaxy?" The smaller Kai scoffed.

"Yes," he informed him with a wicked grin, "He is Goku's eldest son."

" _That's_ Goku's son?" a warrior with wavy blonde hair, Olibu, blinked, "There's no wonder!"

"Actually," King Kai smiled proudly, "Gohan surpassed Goku when he was just a little boy. It seemed as though he had given up training properly for a while, but as you can see he's come back stronger than ever before."

"Damn it North Kai!" West Kai growled furiously, "Why does all the exciting stuff happen in _your_ galaxy, and all I have to show for mine is Pikkon."

The green skinned warrior next to him looked down helplessly, "Well, I've always tried my best West Kai, sir."

"Well your best is boring!" the shorter Kai snapped, "You should have wiped the floor with that Goku when he fought you in the Otherworld tournament!"

"If you're bored West Kai, we could always make things more exciting," King Kai chuckled, waving some notes of cash in the air, "Twenty says Gohan will win."

West Kai glanced at the crystal ball, where the young saiyan in question just got pile driven through a cliff, "You're on."

King Kai smirked, as the teen reemerged, powering his aura so that the rocks crushing him flew away from him. He phased out quicker than the eye could see, and soon was upon the destructive Majin once more, their fists meeting blow for blow.

"What's happening dudes and dudettes!" The Grand Kai called from behind them, his sunglasses glinting as they reflected the images on the crystal. "Woah, that kid is really gunning for it isn't he?"

"HAAAAAAA!" Gohan's scream echoed over the training grounds, as he fired a well aimed blast towards Buu.

But the monster was undeterred, firing his own beam so that it cancelled out the other before careening towards the halfling and head butting him dead on. The teenager growled, stumbling back a little in the air before Majin Buu grabbed him by his thick spikey mane and kneed him straight in the face.

"No!" King Kai yelled hopelessly, as Buu continued his onslaught.

"Ha! Your golden boy isn't so great now is he North Kai?" West Kai smirked.

But King Kai didn't reply. Something was wrong, Buu's energy seemed to be getting stronger all of a sudden.

Luckily, Gohan managed to break free of the monster's hold, backflipping over Buu and punching him hard in the back so that he was flung away from him. Blood was boring from the teen's face, but that didn't stop the smirk that etched its way onto his lips.

"I see you're not messing around this time," The halfling observed, cocking his head to one side as Buu hovered in front of him with a look of malice, "That's alright though, neither am I."

 **SLAM**

The punch was so fast that Buu didn't see it coming, Gohan had fired himself at the evil being with such force that he was flung high into the air with incredible speeds. For years to come, every warrior that was on The Grand Kai's planet that day would say that Majin Buu was hit so hard that they could feel the tremor shudder through their bones.

Buu was so shocked that he didn't even stop himself, the sheer momentum causing to him to shoot past what was left of Snake-Way, climbing higher and higher until-

"No Gohan! Not here! Not here!" King Kai shouted desperately, but it was too late.

A sharp, horrified gasp echoed around the planet, as Majin Buu burst through the clouds. Fury flashed in his fuchsia eyes, managing to screech to a halt as he looked wildly around him.

King Kai was forced to clasp his hands over his ears, as the monster let out an agonising shriek of anger. The holes in his rubbery skin shot out masses of hot steam, as he punched at his chest like a cave man, his power level reaching even bigger heights, a crackling dark pink aura erupting around his frame.

"Damn it all!" a northern warrior named Migeron cried, "Why did he bring the fight up here?!"

"Chill out dude," Grand Kai said calmly, twirling his long white beard around his fingers, "This is a far out battle, with two power levels like this, it's hard for them to stay in one small area."

"Forgive me Grand Kai," said Pikkon, "But you're telling us that the whole of HFIL wasn't big enough?"

Grand Kai let out a bark of laughter, "Of course not! I'm saying the whole of Otherworld isn't big enough!"

The warriors paled.

"Oh no, he's caught sight of us!" Migeron yelled suddenly.

King Kai gulped, as Majin Buu had indeed stopped screaming and was looking at them all with wide curious eyes.

"Be on your guard!" Olibu ordered, as every warrior simultaneously got into their fighting stance.

Buu stared at them silently, until a malicious grin spread across his lips. He raised his right arm, a glowing ball of white energy with the power to destroy a planet in his palm.

"Look out! He's going to fire it!" Pikkon roared, as the wicked Majin started to cackle, the blast growing bigger underneath his fingers.

Suddenly, a faint whistling sound reached their ears.

West Kai blinked, "Does anyone else hear that?"

 **BAM!**

What could only be described as a black and purple blur dropped kicked the ancient monster straight through The Grand Kai's magnificent mansion, causing it to completely crumble to the ground in a shower of debris and dust.

"Aw man!" Grand Kai whined, "Not the shag pad!"

Buu was positively seething as he stood up from the rubble, furious at his missed opportunity to bring more destruction.

Gohan was bruised and bloodied, his purple robes torn in places. But his smirk was still visible as he stared down at the Majin from the air, his long brown tail waving around his back - goading him.

"He's a saiyan?" Olibu blinked.

"Half-saiyan," King Kai snorted, "I said he was Goku's boy didn't I?"

Whispers erupted around the warriors, their gaze fixated on the teenager's swishing tail.

"Disgraceful!" a purple-skinned warrior named Sarta scoffed, "A _saiyan_ wearing the robes of a Kai! What dishonour."

"I'll dishonour you in a minute!" King Kai roared, shaking his fist in the air in anger and causing the warrior to squeak , "The Supreme Kai has personally chosen Gohan as a match to defeat Buu the destroyer, have you ever known anyone else to hold such a title?! No! So shut up and watch the fight!"

"There's not going to be much more of a fight North Kai," South Kai said gravely.

King Kai quirked an eyebrow, "What do you-?"

"BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

The crowd of Kai's and warriors had to duck for cover, as an almighty gust of wind erupted in a whirlwind around them. East Kai yelped, as her hat blew away from her head, but there was no time for her to morn for her lost accessory as Majin Buu screamed manically, bolts of electricity snapping at his frame.

His power was swelling, uncontrollably now. King Kai whipped his head towards Gohan, who was still floating in the air, unaffected by the hurricane with his arms folded across his chest. Though the Kai noticed a subtle difference in his demeanour, his tail was no longer moving, and his strong jaw was tightly clenched.

Without warning, Majin Buu launched himself towards the young saiyan, foaming at the mouth, his eyes were wild and feral.

"Saiyan! Saiyan!" He screeched as he reached the halfling, his outstretched fist all but grazing his cheek as the teen managed to dodge out of the way of his murderous path.

Concern flashed within Gohan's onyx eyes as Buu came at him again, his moves quicker and even more critical than ever before. The teenager was suddenly struggling to keep up, the monster's swell in energy enough to keep him on his toes.

King Kai cried out, as Gohan was knocked out of the air, a large crater forming beneath him as he hit the ground. He was covered in dirt, and the Kai was horrified to find that one of Gohan's ribs was pocking out of his skin.

The teenager grimaced, coughing up blood as he held onto his side. Shock appeared upon his features as Buu stood over his form, grinning widely.

"H-how?" Gohan gasped, pain burning in torso. He couldn't believe it, how had Buu managed to suddenly make such a jump in power? He had been handing his arse to him for the past half an hour!

"Buu bored of big saiyan," he spoke childishly, "Buu want tiny saiyan."

Gohan's eyes widened in horror, Buu's enormous Ki swarming his senses.

But the young saiyan didn't have time to relent in the fact that Buu had been toying with him all this time, as the monster phased out suddenly, reappearing behind him grabbing his left arm in a vice grip, twisting the limb so much so that Gohan thought he was going to tear it off.

He growled, he couldn't move! An explosion of pain coursed through the already damaged tissue, causing him to sink to his knees. He bit his lip, the taste of blood hitting his tongue as he desperately tried not to scream.

 _Stupid arm!_ The teenager thought angrily. He needed to escape, he needed to lure Buu away from The Grand Kai's planet before he pulled another Chaiozu and blew himself up. Damn it, he didn't mean to hit Buu that hard! Well, he did, he just didn't think that he would hit him so hard that he would send him from HFIL to warrior's heaven.

He certainly planned to gloat to Vegeta about _that_ one. Now, if only he could get out of this arm bar.

"Boy is weak. Buu kill you," The Majin whispered into his ear, causing shivers running down to the tip of his tail, "Buu kill you and then Buu kill tiny saiyan."

Gohan gritted his teeth in anger, as the monster broke into a fit of cold laughter, "He he! Blood blood! Saiyan blood! Drip drip drip!"

"I won't let you!" The teenager yelled, a surge of anger erupting through his veins as he ignored the pain his shoulder and delivered a sharp elbow strike to Majin Buu's gut.

Buu cried out in shock as he released him, but it was short lived as Gohan followed up with several strikes to torso, along with a powerful kick to the chin. The manic majin was fired into the air, were the young saiyan met him before he could stop himself. A loud boom resounded across the training fields, as Gohan's fist connected with Buu's skull.

The entire planet shook, dirt and debris shot through the air as Majin Buu was plunged into the planets surface, careening through the core and bursting out of the other side.

"D-did he just punch him through a planet?" Pikkon whispered in disbelief, yet he was met with a stunned silence.

"GOHAN!" King Kai roared suddenly, causing the young saiyan to blink at him in surprise.

His onyx eyes scanned the destruction he had caused, before giving his audience a cheeky grin and an apologetic wave, "Whoops sorry!"

"Reckless kid," the Kai muttered, before something tingled at the base of his neck, "Gohan look out!"

But the teenager didn't have time to react, as Majin Buu appeared seemingly out of nowhere, backhanding him across the sky. Gohan caught himself quickly, wiping the blood from his chin and glaring at the wicked monster, who was annoyingly unharmed from Gohan's attack.

The young saiyan gritted his teeth, and Buu erupted into a fit of giggles before careening towards him once more. Every hit felt steadily more powerful that the last, blow after blow sent his head reeling from the impact. His left arm was weakened, his torso bleeding and incredibly sore, making it even harder to dodge Buu's attacks.

Gohan yelped, as Buu's fist struck him in the side of the head, causing him to fall into yet another crater.

 _"Gohan!"_ His father's voice sounded suddenly in his mind, _"Buu is getting stronger!"_

"Oh, you think?" The teenager spat back, jumping out of the way of a fuchsia blast that came hurtling towards him.

 _"It's true Gohan,"_ The Supreme Kai's cool tone chimed, the obvious source of the voices in his head, " _You see, Babidi's controlling spell held some kind of power restraint upon it, which wore off a few minutes ago."_

Gohan gaped, "And you chose to tell me this _now_?!"

 _"Well if you hadn't had been so damned precious about fighting the big bad monster all by yourself, then maybe he would have been dead by now,"_ came Vegeta's voice.

"Oh piss off Vege- AHH!" the teenager started, as a hot Ki beam shot past his face.

He growled, forced to dodge a flurry of attacks by the manic monster. Finding an opening, Gohan stuck him in the side with his boot, causing Buu to squeal in anger as he was sent careening off into the distance.

"So now what?" the young saiyan growled towards the sky.

" _Buu is now stronger than ever,"_ The Supreme Kai spoke, " _You can see why we had so much trouble defeating him the last time, he is now able to tap into his true power."_

"So basically what you're saying is, we're fucked," the teenager deadpanned, causing the Kai to stammer.

 _"N-not quite the phrasing I would use Gohan, but… yes, yes I do believe that may be the case."_

Gohan inwardly groaned, how was he supposed to stop this maniac now?

 _"So are you going to let us help you now son?"_ His father's voice rang through his head, he didn't sound very pleased with him.

"Oh _fine_!" he huffed angrily, "But if you die again on your head be it, I'm not spending seven more years of shit trying to get over it."

 **POP!**

"Was that really necessary?" Piccolo frowned, as the entire gang appeared beside him.

"Completely," replied the young saiyan, purposely avoiding his father's hardened stare, and catching sight of his mother, Bulma and the rest of the non-fighters, "Did you really have to bring _everyone_?"

Vegeta grumbled, avoiding his wife's glare, "Trust me, it was easier not to argue."

"Whatever," Gohan sighed hopelessly, turning away from the group, "Now if you don't mind, I've got a date with a mentally deranged God of destruction."

With that, he was off, making a beeline for the manic Majin who was flying quickly towards him. Out the corner of his eye, he could just make out the non-fighters and the Kai's gain shelter with the deceased warriors down below.

 **BOOM**

The pair of titans met in the air, their fists clashing with impressive force.

The rest of the Z-Fighter's wasted no time in powering up to their maximum. White aura's intermingled with gold as his father and Vegeta transformed into super saiyans, blots of electricity licking at their frames as they ascended.

Gohan snorted, his senses tingling as he avoided a sharp kick from Buu, he should have known that his father had achieved the second transformation by now too, but what surprised him was when the deceased warrior appeared to jump one step further. Goku's golden hair grew, reaching well past his knees as his muscles bulges, his bone structure becoming more pronounced and his eyebrows seemingly disappearing. His power was amazing.

"Dad?!" the teenager yelled over the swirl of pulsating energy, craning his neck as he ducked away from Buu's fist, "What the hell is that?!"

His father looked towards him, a rather uncharacteristic smirk gracing his lips, "Let's just call it super saiyan three, shall we?"

Gohan blinked, astounded, "Yeah sure, why not."

 **CRACK**

Pain exploded in the side of his skull as Majin Buu struck him in the temple. The force was enough to send him spiralling to the planet below. The aghast cries of the gang were lost on him, as he drew his fingers through the dirt in an attempt to lift himself up. His broken ribs were _really_ starting to hurt, and Buu's hits were doing nothing to help that fact.

"THAT'S IT, I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"

The sudden roar of his father caused Gohan to snap his head up to attention. His eyes widened in horror as he saw the super saiyan three fire himself towards the ancient monster.

"Dad no!" He coughed, still gasping for breath as he struggled to his feet.

But Goku didn't listen. Instead, the Z-Fighter tackled Buu, kicking him to the wayside before cupping his hands to the side and preparing to unleash a devastating attack.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY SON! KAMEHAMEHAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The familiar torrent of blue energy swirled in his palms before he fired it directly at Buu. But to his horror, the beast simply swatted the blast away and off into the atmosphere where it connected with a distant planet.

The explosion sent small meteorites flying in all directions, some crashing down towards the Grand Kai's planet, where Yamcha, Krillin and Tien destroyed them before they reached the surface.

"N-no way," the teenager heard his father mutter, when he was met with a devastating blow from the unfazed Majin.

"Dad!" Gohan cried, as he watched his father double over in pain, before Buu delivered a striking hammer fist to the man's skull, sending him crashing to the ground.

"BASTARD!" Vegeta roared, joining in the fray and blasting towards the monster. Yet his punches were met with another deadly attack from Buu, who tossed the prince aside as though he was nothing but a sack of potatoes.

"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"

"DESTRUCTO DISK!"

"TRI-BEAM HAAAAAA!"

"SPIRIT BALL!

"KAMEHAMEHAAAAAAA!" Eighteen cried, finishing the line of Ki attacks as the rest of the Z-Fighter's teamed up, their energies swirling together.

The brilliant light reflected in Gohan's onyx eyes. It was a dazzling sight to see, it had been a long while since he had seen the Z-Fighter's in action, all of them fighting for the universe once more. But sadly, the grandeur of the situation was sort lived, as Majin Buu appeared from the smoke once again, completely unharmed.

"Damn it! All of our attacks are useless!" Tien cried, before he was quickly backhanded out of the air my the manic monster.

"TIEN!" Launch screamed from the shelter of the temple, blood pouring from a gaping wound in her husband's chest before he hit the ground.

Gohan gritted his teeth in rage, as one by one his friends were picked apart. He _knew_ this would happen. The teenager steadied himself, grasping onto a nearby rock as he gingerly held on to his aching ribs. Looking down at his torso, he started to feel sick at the sight of white bone poking through his flesh.

"Shit," he spat, spitting blood out from his mouth. Looks like he wasn't as durable as he thought when dead.

"Give Buu saiyan, GIVE BUU SAIYAN!" The monster squealed, his eyes darting around him before they settled on a terror stricken Lime who was hiding behind a nearby rock cradling Gokuto.

"No! No you leave him alone!" Lime cried, tears in her eyes as the monster landed at her feet, "He's done nothing to you! He's just a baby! Please!"

Majin Buu growled, his gaze fixated on the littlest saiyan as he took another step forwards. The small group of deceased warriors surrounding her leapt into the air with a battle cry, but the monster was ready. A smirk graced his lips as he aimed a beam of fuchsia energy towards the fighters, incinerating them in a blink of an eye.

Gohan gasped in horror as the warriors disappeared into dust, wiped from existence forever. Damn it! That bastard!

But before the teenager could move but an inch, did a fierce Videl Satan jump in front of Lime and Gokuto. Her hands were stretched out wide to her sides, protecting them as she stared down the ancient beast.

"NO! I won't let you!"

"V-Videl…" Lime gasped, blinking rapidly at the sight of the defiant girl in front of her as she cradled a terrified Gokuto protectively to her bosom.

"You're nothing but a coward! Attacking innocent children!" Videl growled, "And for what? For pleasure? Well that's not going to happen whilst I'm around!"

"Girl stop Buu?!" Buu chortled, his malicious grin growing ever wider, "Stupid girl! Buu kill you too! BUU KILL YOU ALL!"

Both girls gasped, taking a step away from the brute when -

 **BOOM**

Gohan jumped into the air as a blinding flash of brilliant light encompassed the area, and was about to race towards them when he stopped short, the light fading as quickly as it came.

Majin Buu was stood still, gaping at the enormous hole that had blown apart the centre of his stomach. The monster sniffed at the air, growling at the scent of his own burning flesh before looking rapidly around him.

"Yeah if you're looking for the kid that just turned you into a giant donut, that would be me."

Gohan blinked, hardly believing his eyes as a small boy floated gloatingly behind of Buu. He was dressed in white gi trousers with a purple sash around his middle. His chest was bare, his shoulders covered by a puffy waist jacket. His hair was golden, as he was in his super saiyan form. His obsidian eyes twinkled almost childishly at the monster, yet bore a hint of malice within their depths. The power emitting from the child was incredible, far beyond that of a super saiyan two's.

Ah, so this must be Gotenks.

"YOU!" The Majin seethed, whirling around and catching sight of them.

"Hello again Majin Buu," the combined voices of his brother and Trunks spoke, "You're going to wish we had never met."

Buu growled in anger, his situation was almost comical were it not for the crippling power that was still dominating them, "BOY! BUU MAKE BOY DEAD!"

"No, no, no," Gotenks smirked, waving a finger in the air cockily, "Boy make _Buu_ dead! We'll teach you not to mess with us saiyan's."

At the mere mention of the word 'saiyan', did Buu begin to scream wildly again. His stomach popped back into place, it was as if the burning hole had never existed.

"Woah don't have a heart attack!" Gotenks chimed, as Buu's power rocked what was left of the sacred planes.

The Z-gang ducked for cover, as a torrent of dust and dirt kicked up around them. Buu flew high into the air, spiralling out of control as he ascended.

"Running away so soon?" Gotenks scoffed, his gaze hardening, "Oh no you don't!"

The fused warrior careened after the ancient beast, engaging in fierce combat. The exchange of blows shook the ground so much that Gohan had to grab on to the rock with both hands to keep himself from falling.

Finally, Gotenks broke out of the fray, a wicked grin spreading across his features as he bellowed, "SUPER GOTENKS ULTRA SUPER MEGA FANTASTIC AMAZING - "

"Gotenks!" Piccolo growled from below, dusting himself off from his own defeat, "Stop shouting at him and hit him!"

"Aw but Piccolo, that's boring!" the fused boy huffed, "That's not how _real_ superheroes fight!"

"Real super-?!" Vegeta seethed, "You're WARRIORS not some cheap rendition of an action figure -!"

"Oi!" Gohan protested.

"- now finish the job!"

"Yes sir," Gotenks sighed in defeat, before a malicious glint appeared in his eyes.

In an instant, the fused child spearheaded a crippling assault on Buu, his head connecting directly in between the monsters legs before they grabbed the him by the antennae and flung him into the air.

Majin Buu was paralysed, seemingly too shocked to move as a fiery blast erupted from Gotenks' palms and hit the beast head on. The explosion sounded, causing a torrent of smoke to join the already blackening sky.

"Oh yeah!" Gotenks cheered, dusting off his hands, and looking towards the throngs of warriors, "Watch and learn boys. Now that is how you defeat an ancient monst-"

"PEEK A BUU BUU!"

"What the _hell_?!" Gohan cried, his eyes widening at the sight.

Gotenks' attack had indeed been affective in blasting Buu into little pieces, but what the young saiyan didn't count on was for the parts of Buu's gelatinous flesh to morph into hundreds of tiny Buu's, all cackling madly at them from above.

"AHHH!" Gotenks yelled, as the tiny Buu's attacked, firing energy blast after energy blast towards them.

"Gotenks!" The teenager roared, as the boy didn't have time to block, and was sent soaring head first into a rock face, his flesh and clothes burnt and torn.

Gohan was furious, as he helplessly watched Gotenks separate back into Goten and Trunks, unconscious. Buu was positively beside himself, as he merged back into a single entity, gloating at them with that manic laughter of his.

"Damn it! He's just toying with us!" Vegeta spat after flying over and gathering up the two boys.

"This is hopeless," Krillin sighed, landing beside the teenager and wincing at his injuries, "how are we going to beat him?"

His father tapped down next to him too, having had long since dropped out of his transformation, his obsidian eyes cast upwards as he glared at the beast that was Buu.

"I don't think it's now possible to destroy Majin Buu," The Supreme Kai admitted, gritting his teeth as the ancient being started to cackle above them, "We must resort to a tried and tested method, we must seal Buu up again."

"How do we do that though?" Yamcha griped, "And isn't Buu ridiculously strong now?! I mean, look at the state of Gohan!"

"Cheers Yamcha," the teenager huffed, leaning against the rock.

"I don't know how we're going to do it, but we have to try," The Kai said boldly, "At this point, Buu's evil entity is so powerful, only the purest energy will be enough to take him down."

Gohan bit his lip in thought, racking his brains to think of something useful.

"The spirit bomb!" Goku said suddenly, causing everyone to look towards him in awe.

"The spirit-?" Tien started, until his eyes widened, "Of course Goku! That's genius!"

"Only problem is that it will take a while to charge," the saiyan admitted, "But with the time it takes, hopefully it will be enough for you lot to weaken him before I fire it. You got a spare ball around to seal him in Supreme Kai?"

"Well I'm certain I could whip something up," the Kai smiled, for the first time in hours, "What a brilliant plan Goku, I just hope that the rest of us can hold of Buu for that length of time."

A thought suddenly entered Gohan's mind, "Supreme Kai, if Buu had a spell on him before to make him weaker and more controllable, then it can be done again right?"

The deity blinked, "Well er yes, I suppose it can."

"Well," the young saiyan started, "What if I go and get Babidi and ask him put that spell on Buu. That'll make him weaker, more time for us to fight him without dying, Dad can do the spirit bomb and hey presto - no more Majin Buu!"

"Excellent idea Gohan!" The Kai beamed, "although I don't think Babidi will be so willing."

"Oh he doesn't need to be," Gohan grinned wickedly, "I'm pretty certain that half of HFIL saw me wail a former God of destruction through a mountain, I don't think it'll be a problem to get him to do it."

"Right you are," Supreme Kai chuckled, as the rest of the Z-Fighter's smiled knowingly, "Everyone, you just need to hold off Buu whilst Gohan persuades Babidi and Goku gathers energy. Whatever happens, you _must_ keep Buu away from them."

"Supreme Kai, if I may," a very tall warrior spoke with flowing blonde hair, gestured to the throngs of warriors behind him, "We would like to fight beside you all."

Goku beamed, "Thanks Olibu, we'd be honoured."

"That's all well and good, but there's a problem," Piccolo spoke suddenly, eyeing Buu who had begun to snore high above them, his eyes closed and a bubble of drool escaping from his lips, "There's not a lot of energy around here to create the spirit bomb, you can't use the Ki of the dead, and Buu has destroyed most life surrounding this world."

Goku blinked, "What about Earth?"

"What about Earth Kakarot?" Vegeta said gruffly, standing next to an unconscious Trunks and worried Bulma, "It's gone."

"Well," the taller saiyan explained, "If we wish Earth back with the Namekian dragonballs, I can gather energy from there."

"Of course!" The Supreme Kai gasped, "You can easily lock onto the energies of Earth because you are so familiar with it!"

"And I'm certain that we can use the Namekian dragonballs!" Dende chimed in helpfully, "They won't take too long to gather, the tribes will be more than willing to help if I mention Gohan and Goku's names!"

"But wait," Piccolo frowned, "Isn't Porunga restricted in that he can only bring back one person at a time?"

"It used to be that way," Dende informed him, a smile spreading across his features, "But Elder Moori was able to put more power into the wishes when we moved to New Namek, Porunga is now more powerful than ever!"

"Excellent Dende," Shin beamed, "Kibito, if you would, please take Dende to New Namek and help him gather the dragonballs."

"Of course master," Kibito nodded, before he was tapped on the shoulder.

Lime looked up at the red skinned deity with pleading eyes, as she held onto a quivering Gokuto, "If it's alright with you, I'd like to come too. I think it's best I got Gokuto out of here."

"I agree," said Goku seriously, "With Gohan out of the picture for a while, Buu might go after him again."

"It would be a pleasure for you to accompany us Lime," Dende smiled, causing the girl to sigh in relief.

"Thanks," she beamed, before turning to the little boy in her arms, "What do you say 'Kuto? Fancy coming on an adventure with Mummy?"

Gokuto nodded, though he still looked fearful. Gohan's heart ached as he made his way up to them, ruffling the boy's messy black hair, "Don't worry kiddo, go and have fun with Mummy and Uncle Dende, it'll all be over soon."

"Okay Daddy," he replied quietly, as the teen kissed him on the forehead. He would have hugged him, but didn't want to get his blood all over the poor kid.

"See you later?" the young saiyan said to Lime, giving her a small, reassuring smile.

The girl grinned back, as Kibito placed a hand on her and Dende's shoulder and they vanished in a shower of light.

"Hurry back kid," Piccolo said once the light had faded, "I think we're going to need you for this."

"Right," the teenager nodded, spinning on his heel before he was firmly dragged back by the neck of his robes.

"HOLD IT!"

He winced as he turned around, a familiar pair of sapphire eyes glaring at him.

"There's no way you're abandoning me again Gohan!" Videl snarled.

"But Videl-!"

"Don't you _but Videl_ me!" she growled, causing the gang to cower in fear behind her, "I'm tired of it! You think that just because you got your leg over you can just order me around?! 'Be careful Videl', 'stay here Videl', 'I'm just going to go off and get myself killed again Videl', well I won't have it! You disappeared for months on end without so much of an explanation, run off to fight, then die and then run off to fight again! And do I need to mention all the _lies_?! Do you just expect me to sit here and twiddle my thumbs like a good girl?!"

Gohan sighed heavily, "Videl it's too dangerous."

"I'm not just staying put here whilst everyone else is fighting!" The girl yelled, "My dad is _dead_ along with everyone else on Earth because of that monster! I have to do something!"

He stared at her, her beautiful eyes glowing with angry tears. Her cheeks were flushed, and her clothes caked in mud from dodging the battle raging around her. She bit her lip hesitantly, though Gohan thought that she may be trying to suppress a sob. Damn it, he couldn't bloody resist her.

"Gohan," came The Supreme Kai, having deemed it was now safe to speak, "We have to act quickly."

"Fine," the teenager sighed again, "But if there's trouble Videl then you have to promise to let me take you out of there."

Videl folded her arms across her chest in defiance.

"BUUUUUUUU!" The monster screamed suddenly from above, his patience having worn thin.

Immediately, the warriors of the dead shot towards the ancient Majin. Vegeta scooped up Goten and Trunks and moved them to a safer spot, whilst his father took to the air, raising his palms towards the sky in a strong stance.

"Come on!" said Gohan quickly, grabbing Videl's hand and taking a running jump away from the planet.

Videl shrieked, grasping tightly onto his neck as they hurtled downwards, the raging sound of battle becoming all the more distant as they sped back to HFIL.


	38. The Gold Fighter Returns

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**

 **The Gold Fighter Returns**

 **xxxx**

"It's freezing as hell down here!"

"Well, I think that's the whole point."

"Shut up Gohan," Videl glared, hugging her arms to her in an attempt to warm herself as they flew.

"I'd give you my robe but uh," Gohan started, looking down at his ripped and bloodied attire.

"I'll pass," she said, wrinkling her nose in distaste, "That broken rib looks nasty, couldn't you have asked Dende to heal you before we came here?"

He looked at her sheepishly, "Suppose I forgot."

" _Forgot?"_ She spouted, her eyes widening, "How could you forget that you have half your ribcage sticking out of you?"

"Think it's because I'm dead, I don't feel the pain as much really," he replied, pointing up a his halo, "And besides, I've had worse."

" _Worse?!"_

"Well, someone broke my neck in a fight once," he shrugged.

Videl stared.

"Aha!" Gohan said suddenly, catching sight of a large group of hellions that were watching the battle against Majin Buu on an enormous crystal ball.

The rules of death were rather annoying, as he was unable to sense Babidi anywhere. Apparently, it had been ruled eons ago to prevent bad guys Ki being detected when dead, as it caused too much trouble with good guys wanting to get revenge once they passed over to Otherworld. Hence, Gohan was going to have to try a different method of finding out Babidi's whereabouts.

The teenager swooped low, startling the crowd as he landed right in the middle of them, placing Videl down gently on the ground.

"Right, any of you greasy git's want to tell me where Babidi is?" He said loudly, causing the group to stare wide eyed at him.

He recognised some of them, quite a number were dressed in the armour worn by Frieza's soldiers, though he couldn't put names to faces if he tried. There was a large group standing to the back of the crowd, and Gohan could just about make out masses of spikey black hair and similar armour.

Most of the Loser's wisely cowered away from him, having more than likely seen his battle with Majin Buu unfold. Though of course, there was always one that was too stupid and brave enough to challenge him.

"Well, well, well," a dark chuckle emerged from the shadows, "If it isn't Gohan, my how you've grown."

Terror, adrenaline and fury hit him like a brick wall all at once. The silhouette was all too prominent against the blood red sky. First, the teenager recognised the voice, the cool confident tone which haunted his nightmares and darkest moments. Next, the pointed edges of his skull and the sharp wings that protruded out from his humanoid form. Then there was that familiar sound, that familiar squeaking sound of the bio-android walking forwards, allowing his green and black exoskeleton to be seen perfectly in the light. Pink eyes locked onto his onyx, sending shivers running down his spine to the tip of his tail. Videl immediately gripped onto his bicep, her mouth agape in horror.

"I-It's Cell," she whispered, but Gohan did not react to the statement. His gaze was fixed firmly ahead of him, attempting to give the beast the foulest glare he had given anyone in his life.

Cell grinned wickedly at the sight of them, "And here you are Gohan, coming to HFIL so willingly. How very foolish."

"Foolish for you to even dare to show yourself," spat Gohan, his tail twitching angrily as he pulled his lips into a smirk, "How's death treating you by the way?"

The bio-android seemed to relish in his words, "I should be asking you the same, though I doubt the Kai's would think you were so deserving of that halo and garb if they knew of your monstrous ways."

He felt Videl fidget slightly beside him, as he glared daggers at Cell, "They sensed our fight, they know what happened."

"Oh but do they?" Cell quirked disbelievingly, "and they still believe you're a suitable poster boy after killing your own father?"

Gohan remained silent, though his lack of response caused Videl to inhale a sharp intake of breath.

Unfortunately, Cell noticed.

"Ah whose this? I don't believe we've been introduced," he chimed, pink orbs flickering over to the girl, "Oh don't tell me Gohan! Don't tell me that your little girlfriend here doesn't know that you're a murderer! Oh yes girl, he may have destroyed me, but what he did to his father was far worse!"

"Shut up!" The young saiyan snarled, his Ki spiking dangerously.

Cell cocked his head towards him in interest, "Touched a nerve have I Gohan?"

Gohan's white aura burst to life around him, causing the majority of the hellions to scream in terror at his tremendous energy that swept the planes. Videl jumped back, just as a crackle of lightening rippled over his chest.

"I'm not here to kick your ass again Cell," the teenager growled menacingly, "All I want to know is where Babidi is."

Cell's eyes widened momentarily, before that ever sadistic smirk grew wider, "And you think I'm going to hand that information over so willingly?"

"The little brat doesn't seem to understand who he's talking to," came an amused voice from behind Cell.

Gohan's features grew fierce, as non other than Frieza stepped out from the shadows, accompanied by King Cold, Cooler and Ize.

"He gave my warriors a lot of lip," Lady Ize said scathingly, "I think it's about time we returned the favour."

Gohan's ear's perked up, as he was suddenly surrounded. Familiar faces from his childhood nightmares stared out menacingly at him. The deceased members of The Ginyu Force, Cooler's gang, The Crusher Cops, Garlic Junior's minions, Dabura, Lycorn and Dodoma all desperate to have a piece of the young saiyan. Odd, he didn't see Checha anywhere.

"Gohan," Videl whispered worriedly, "What is going on?"

"Let's just say I pissed a lot of people off when I was younger," he replied, his tail swishing behind him.

The Satan girl scoffed, " _Just_ when you were younger?"

Gohan shot her a glare, before grinning, "Fancy a good work out?"

Her eyes widened slightly, before he pointed in the direction of some quivering members of Frieza's army, "I think you can handle those bozo's."

"What, really?" she asked sceptically, though a hint of excitement was evident in her eyes.

"Come off it, I saw your fight with Spopovich," he said with a cheeky grin, "and I have to say Videl, _damn_."

"Damn?"

 _"Damn."_

Videl smirked up at him, her cheeks dusted lightly crimson.

"When you've quite finished," Cell cut across them with an air of mild annoyance, "I'd like to finally wipe you from the planes of existence."

Gohan's onyx eyes hardened, a small smile tugging at his lips, "Aw Cell, I feel exactly the same way about you too."

 **xxxx**

Cell screamed, the desperation in his light pink eyes evident as his body disintegrated, exploding in a shower of smoke. Gohan smirked, looking proudly over at Videl who was sat on a nearby boulder resting her chin on her hand in a bored manner.

"You know," she sighed, "As fun as it was watching you the first fifty times you did that, don't you think it's about time you stopped?"

The young saiyan pouted, as Cell's body suddenly materialised, and no sooner did he gasp for air did he disappear again in a blinding flash - courtesy of Gohan's outstretched palm. He had forgotten that his father had once told him that bad guys were able to keep their bodies too, only, if they were destroyed, they would come back in order to suffer for their crimes for all eternity in HFIL.

"Aw come on Videl, just one more?" he pleaded, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.

She scoffed, turning away from him and nudging an unconscious Frieza with her boot. The rest of hell's infinite loser's were in a similar state, and Gohan was rather proud that she managed to knock out at least ten members of Frieza's army, along with a few minions.

It didn't take long for the young saiyan to clean up the remaining hellions, but not before getting information out of a squealing King Cold as to Babidi's whereabouts.

"Fine, _one_ more!" said Videl, rolling her eyes as he positively bounced with glee, "but then we are leaving!"

Gohan grinned wickedly at her, as a furious Cell appeared in front of him. He was ungracefully foaming at the mouth, seething, his eyes wide and feral as he made to lunge at the halfling.

"Y-YOU! YOU INSOLENT LITTLE BR-!"

 **BOOM**

"Ah, now that's what I call therapy," Gohan sighed fondly, the satisfying sight of Cell being blown to dust reflected in his onyx orbs.

"Are you done?" Videl asked haughtily.

"Oh alright," he huffed at the stern look on her face, "Let's go get the stupid wizard."

The two teen's walked slowly, following the directions that King Cold had reluctantly given them. Apparently, Babidi was seeking shelter in a nearby cave, terrified that Ize or Majin Buu would come after him.

Gohan was busy taking in his surroundings, when he caught Videl staring at him oddly.

"What?"

The girl bit her lip hesitantly, "It's just, what Cell said back there, about your dad…"

"If you're wondering whether it's true or not, then the answer is yes, I killed my father," he said bitterly, not looking at her.

"But I don't understand," she pressed, "When your mum and everyone were telling me about what happened at The Cell Games, they said that your dad died sacrificing himself."

"Exactly," Gohan stated, "he had to sacrifice himself in order to cover for my stupid mistake. I let my power go to my head, I got cocky and Cell was just _seconds_ from blowing up the planet before Dad managed to take him away from Earth. He died protecting me."

"And you blame yourself for him deciding to stay dead, don't you?"

The young saiyan stopped dead in his tracks. "Who told you that?" he said sternly, eyeing her.

Videl sighed, surprising him by taking his hand in hers, "No one told me Gohan, it's just plain to see. The way you avoid him, the way you speak to him when you _do_ actually acknowledge him, and how you reacted when he came to join in the fight."

He said nothing, focussing more on how tightly her soft hand gripped onto his calloused one.

"I know you've probably heard this a million times," she continued, her eyes not leaving him, "But you shouldn't blame yourself. You _can't_ do it to yourself. Bloody hell Gohan you were just a little boy when you fought Cell! No offence, but can you imagine Goten and Trunks making any sound strategic decisions in a fight?"

This time, Gohan snorted, "They'd probably think it was all a big game. Probably think it now actually."

"See?" she quirked, "I know I haven't known your friends very long Gohan, but hell, from an outsider looking in, you can see how much they all care about you. Your dad is absolute in awe of you, and as much as I can't imagine someone sending in their kid to fight a monster like Cell, I can't help but think that he made the right decision eh? You did save the world after all _Gold Fighter_."

A small smile tugged at his lips, before he faltered almost immediately, "I know, but I couldn't do it to Gokuto, I couldn't just leave him to grow up without me either. I-I couldn't think of anything worse."

"Don't you think that's how your dad's feeling right now?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, "He probably feels like the worst person in the world. And I'm not saying I'm completely on his side, but maybe you should forgive him. It would make the both of you feel better."

"Yeah, maybe," he replied glumly, avoiding her gaze again, "It's just hard."

"I know," Videl sympathised, giving his hand a little squeeze, "Believe me, it's hard to understand parent's decisions sometimes. But they are only human after all, or well, saiyan in your case."

He smiled back at her, before a thought popped into his mind, "Are you going to forgive your dad?"

"Maybe, eventually," she said, her eyebrows knitting together, "It's going to take a lot of explaining and a lot of new training clothes though."

Gohan chuckled, "If I were you, I'd ask for a car or a mansion."

"Hm," she replied thoughtfully, resuming their walk, "I like your style."

 _"Woah! Those are the biggest balls I've ever seen!"_

The teenager's jumped, started by the sudden girlish voice ringing around them.

"Lime?!" Gohan gaped, looking above him in bewilderment.

 _"Sorry Gohan, it's Dende!"_ came the young Namekian's voice soon after, he sounded rather flustered at the girl's exclamation, _"I'm just contacting you to let you know that we've gathered the dragonballs and are about to summon Porunga."_

"That's brilliant Dende!" the halfling grinned, "Is Gokuto alright?"

 _"He's just fine!"_ Dende replied happily, _"Although he keeps asking Lime why there are so many Piccolo's. There's not been an egg hatching for a while, so everyone's pretty tall here at the moment!"_

Gohan laughed, relieved to hear that the little boy was doing well, the whole ordeal must have been pretty traumatising. They would need a serious duvet day with a lot of sugary snacks and cartoons when this was over.

 _"Hurry the hell up!"_ yelled Lime suddenly, _"I want to see me a dragon!"_

 _"S-sorry Lime!"_ Dende stammered hurriedly, _"Gohan, the first wish I'm going to make is to wish all those killed by Buu back to life, and I'm not going to lie to you, you're going to feel a little strange…"_

Gohan blinked, "What do you-?"

 _"Porunga! Please restore Planet Earth, and all those that have been killed today by Babidi, Buu and their evil magic! Except for the really really bad ones!"_

"Eek!" He couldn't stop the shriek that emitted from his lips, as he felt an odd tingling sensation overcome him. Blood rushed loudly in his ears as a dull thud reverberated in his chest. He felt dizzy, as his heart began to beat once more, the halo disappearing from above his head. Then suddenly, his whole body shuddered, hurting a lot more now that he was alive, the pain from his ribs radiating through his chest and back.

"T-thanks Dende," Gohan shuddered.

 _"You're welcome, now please hurry up and find Babidi and get a senzu bean!"_

"Are you alright?" Videl asked, concern flashing through her eyes as she made to steady him.

"Y-yeah," said Gohan, recovering from the sudden shock to his system and standing up to full height.

"Good," she replied, "It almost seems unnatural to see you hurt."

"Ah, I can't look this good _all_ the time Satan," he grinned, causing her to roll her eyes at him.

They walked in silence for a while, passing through the desolate planes of HFIL. As they drew deeper beyond the spikey mountains, it grew colder, even though the breeze had seemingly disappeared some time ago. There were various nooks and cranny's situated throughout the rocks, yet there was still no sign of Babidi.

"So which one do you want to be?" Gohan mused, waltzing into yet another cave, "Good cop or bad cop?"

Videl eyed him in amusement, "I prefer the bad cop, bad cop routine."

The teen saiyan grinned wickedly, "Right you are Satan."

"Y-You!" A sudden cry pulled the teens away from each other's gaze, as Babidi's voice cut through the air. Gohan and Videl had unknowingly stumbled upon the wizard's hiding place, deep within one of the mountainous crevices. Babidi looked like a deer caught in headlights, his back pushed against the hard wall of the cave, his beady eyes wide as he stared at Gohan.

He trembled, swallowing the lump in his throat as he addressed the halfling, "I should have known you were a brat of the Kai's! Troublesome little fool!"

"Cut the shit Babidi," Gohan growled, glowering at the trembling wizard, "Here's how this is going to work. You're going to come with us and cast that spell on Buu you used to control him. Then, my dad is going to destroy that monstrosity and you're going to go back down to HFIL quietly like a good little wizard and spend the rest of your afterlife suffering for your crimes."

Babidi looked aghast, opening his mouth to speak when the teenager cut across him.

"You're going to do this without complaining, no tricks or any funny business," said Gohan, "Or else believe me, I will keep disintegrating you until I get bored, am I clear?"

"And trust me, he doesn't get bored easily," chimed Videl, glaring at the wizard.

"B-but," Babidi mustered weakly.

"Do you hear defiance Videl?" quirked Gohan.

The Satan girl smirked, "Why yes Gohan, I think I did."

"No please!" Babidi squeaked desperately, as the young saiyan took a step towards him, "Alright, you win, I-I'll do it but I don't know how long it will work for."

"What do you mean?" Videl growled, "Spit it out wizard."

"My father was much more powerful than I," Babidi explained rather reluctantly, "The spell that he put on Buu lasted for decades before it wore off. I thought that mine would last longer, but as you have seen it wasn't very effective. Damn it all… my father would have succeeded thousands of years ago if it weren't for that saiyan!"

"Enough talk Babidi," spat Gohan, "are you going to do the spell or not?"

"Silence brat!" The wizard snapped, "Do you know just who you're talking to?! I am the great wizard Babidi! I will not be ordered around by a mere child!"

The teenager snorted, "Seems like you don't have much of a choice."

"You out of all people know he must be stopped," interrupted Videl, "Neither you or your father could control Buu, there won't be anything left!"

The wizard stared at the girl, his anger wavering. Slowly, he sighed, "I suppose you're right young lady. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it would feel good to get revenge on Ize for stabbing me in the back! Majin Buu will never belong to her or her minions again!"

"Great!" Gohan beamed, "Can you do it now?"

Babidi hesitated for a moment, "It is very complex magic. I would need an opportune moment to make sure the spell is successful. Buu needs to be still, and in a somewhat subdued state for it to work."

The young saiyan winced, he wasn't sure that they could get Buu to stay still for long, not with the furious state he was in. Without wasting anymore time, Gohan cocked his head up towards the sky, "Supreme Kai? Supreme Kai, can you hear me?!"

There was silence for a few moments, causing the teen to share a worried glance with Videl. Yet to his relief, it didn't take much longer for the God to answer his call.

 _"Sorry Gohan, it's a bit hectic up here!"_ came the Kai's voice, his tone hurried and rather frantic, _"Have you found Babidi?"_

"Yep!" The teenager smiled, "And he's more than willing to help us! But he says we need to make sure that Buu is subdued to make the spell work. After that, he can weaken him and Dad can throw the spirit bomb!"

The Kai paused hesitantly, _"Ah, I see. Well, there seems to be a slight problem with the spirit bomb after all."_

Gohan's heart sank, "What?"

 _"Goku can't summon enough energy from Earth. You see, he can't just take that amount of energy, the earthlings have to be willing to give it up. He has tried to speak with them telepathically, but they aren't listening! And I must say, they've been a lot more reluctant after Vegeta tried to er … help."_

"What?!" The halfling cried, "How couldn't they? It's to save the universe for crying out loud!"

 _"Gohan, you can't honestly tell me that you would take orders from some strange voices up in the sky can you?"_

"Seems like I'm doing a lot of that lately," he grumbled.

"I've got it!" Videl said suddenly, causing both him and Babidi to stare at her.

"Got what?" Gohan asked sceptically.

The girl rolled her eyes, "The earthling's just need someone they can trust to talk to them, someone they know. Your dad may be famous in the world of martial arts, but it's not like everyone on the planet knows who he is."

The young saiyan eyed the wicked smirk that suddenly graced her lips, "I don't like where this is going…"

"Oh come off it!" Videl practically beamed, "You _know_ they would listen! You've seen how much they still admire him at the tournament today, even though he hadn't shown up in a while. But you know what, they still trust him, and after everything they aren't scared of the things he can do. He gives them hope, they believe in him just as much as they do my dad, and best of all I believe in him."

"So what do you say Gold Fighter?" she grinned up at him, "do you think you're ready for another spectacle?"

"Oh no, oh _hell_ no, I'm not revealing myself again!" Gohan protested hotly, "And anyway, no one will believe a talking voice in the sky claiming to be The Gold Fighter!"

"Of course they won't!" said Videl, "But they'll believe it if they see you with their own eyes!"

"Well good luck with that," the teenager scoffed, "I haven't got any means of getting to Earth for a start, not to mention I don't have my suit, and I can't turn into a super saiyan anymore!"

Videl's eyes sparkled, "I'm sure we can find away around your little super saiyan problem, as long as The Supreme Kai can manage to pull himself away from the fight long enough to whizz us down to Earth."

"And what about _him_?" Gohan growled, pointing a finger at Babidi, "Incase you haven't noticed we've got another job to do!"

 _"Gohan, if I may, I can take you to Earth once you've brought Babidi to the Grand Kai's planet,"_ came The Supreme Kai's reasoning, _"I do believe that Videl might be right. The Gold Fighter seems to be rather popular back on Earth."_

"You are an action figure after all," Videl chimed.

"I do recall Yamu wearing a pair of those nifty Gold Fighter _AirGold_ trainers before I captured him," Babidi pointed out.

"You stay out of it!" Gohan snapped at the wizard, causing him to squeak in fright.

The young saiyan sighed, as Videl looked towards him expectantly, "Fine I'll do it, but we'll have to do something about my hair."

 **xxxx**

He couldn't believe he was doing this.

Of course, it didn't take a stubborn girl such as Videl to find a way around every curve ball he threw at her. He wanted to save the world yes, and rid the universe of Majin Buu. But in all his years he would have never have thought he would have to dye his hair to do it.

It was ridiculous, Gohan thought, as he stood in a long queue in a chemist in the middle of West City, just how a simple box of hair bleach could be the key to Majin Buu's destruction.

He sighed, with the realisation of how his time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was completely wasted. All that time training to become a super saiyan and he couldn't even do it any more. He was lightyears stronger than before yes, but something inside him was particularly irked that he had to now bleach his bloody hair to look like a super saiyan again.

Videl thought it was a genius idea. And although the teenager was impressed at her quick thinking, he couldn't help but berate her for making The Supreme Kai teleport them to Earth, back to the wasteland where he had originally fought Buu. Then, the teenager's had to travel to West City to get a new Gold Fighter watch from Capsule Corp., luckily, Bulma had created several back up's should the reckless teenager accidentally break his. Gohan had left Videl with his staff code and instructions on how to get to Bulma's private lab, whilst he went shopping in the city.

Now all he had to do was dye his hair and set the _real_ plan in motion.

Just what was taking so long? He huffed angrily, craning his neck to look at the front of the tills, where a spotty adolescent was ringing through items at a snails pace.

The teenager growled, drawing even more attention to himself. He couldn't help but think that maybe this should have been Videl's task, the daughter of Mister Satan would surely be able to skip the queue. But _no,_ according to Videl he had to get the proper shade of blonde, and _he_ was more accustomed to the super saiyan hair do - he didn't even bloody care! Who would even be looking at him that closely?!

People were already staring at him, giving the garb clad saiyan a wide birth. He was sure they were more frightened of the state he was in, his robes torn and bloodied, cuts and bruises littering his body with a particularly nasty gash just above his left eyebrow. Not to mention the snapped white bone sticking out of his chest.

 **Glip. Glip.**

 **Glip. Glip.**

Went the tills, aggravating the young saiyan even more.

"Can we hurry this up?!" he barked, causing several in the queue to shrink away from him.

 **Glip. Glip.**

He couldn't believe this, all of these people had just come back to life! What the bloody hell were they doing out _shopping_ when such a tragedy had befallen the Earth?

 **Glip. Glip.**

Gohan growled, tapping his foot impatiently on the ground as he tried to distract himself, his eyes scanning the instructions on the box in his hands -

 _Put on gloves provided_

 _Pour peroxide and bleach into bowl, mix until smooth_

 _Apply immediately_

Huh, that doesn't seem too hard.

 _For dark brown to black hair, leave for approx. 45-60 minutes._

"Fuck!" The teenager fumed, as several people turned towards him and tutted. Gohan ignored them, slapping a hand over his face in utter despair. He didn't have sixty minutes!

 **Glip. Glip.**

Surely he wouldn't have to go through the same palaver each time he had to don his alter ego?! It certainly would be an inconvenience. Maybe Bulma could build him a helmet or something to hide his black hair…

Nah, he'd look like a right tosser.

Sighing heavily, the young saiyan berated himself even more. What the hell was he doing? Standing in a queue like an absolute _arse_ when all of his friends were getting beaten to a bloody pulp by an evil ancient monster? He only hoped that The Supreme Kai had managed to get Babidi to perform the spell without much fuss. The spell _should_ be in motion now, he thought desperately, praying that his family and friends were managing to hold the monster off without him.

 **Glip. Glip.**

"Oh sod this!" The teenager spat loudly, causing the occupants of the room to jump in fright as he leapt over barriers and made a break for the exit.

"STOP THEIF!" Security called after him, the alarm bells ringing relentlessly in his ears, but Gohan was too fast.

"Sorry!" he called over his shoulder before kicking off from the ground and blasting into the sky, "You'll thank me later! It's to save the world!"

Performing a loop de loop in mid air, the teenager quickly locked on to Videl's Ki that was already waiting for him within the grounds of Capsule Corp. Swooping low to greet her, Gohan grinned, holding up the box of dye in triumph.

"Good, I was wondering what was taking you so long," she sighed, rolling her eyes at him.

"There was a queue," he mustered sheepishly, rightly keeping the fact that he had indeed shoplifted a secret from her. She certainly didn't have to know that, he would rather her not be angry with him for something else.

"Did you get the watch?" he asked, breaking into a smile as she held it up towards him.

"It was difficult to find, believe me," she replied, handing it to him and watching him as he clipped it over his wrist, "Bulma has so many gadgets it's unreal! And it didn't help that some Capsule Corp. engineer almost caught me running off with it, think her name badge said her name was Iris or something…"

"So, you any good at dyeing hair?" He enquired swiftly, changing the subject.

As it turned out, Videl was rather good at hair dyeing, managing to get every inch of his dark roots, albeit there were a few times when the girl accidentally got some of the peroxide in his eyes. After a rather distressing rinse over the bathtub in one of the guest bathrooms of Capsule Corp., Gohan was finally ready, blowdrying his hair with a burst of Ki.

It had been a gruelling sixty minutes, yet the now golden haired teenager pressed the button on his watch, his black bodice replacing his garb and the black and silver cloak falling to his feet. Slowly, as the midnight visor snapped over his eyes, Gohan began to smirk at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

He never thought he would say it, but damn it felt good to be back.

"You finished admiring yourself yet?" Videl said from behind him with a roll of her eyes.

Gohan offered her a cheeky grin, having not missed the slight blush upon her cheeks, "That depends, have you?"

"Shut up," she growled, her cheeks reddening.

The teen saiyan chuckled, grabbing hold of her hand and leading her quickly out of the complex.

"Blimey! It's The Gold Fighter!" he heard someone shout as they escaped into the grounds. Videl yelped, as they came to a sudden halt, a thoughtful look overcoming the halfling as several Capsule Corp. employees hung their heads out of the windows in shock.

"Damn it, what now?" he mused aloud, struggling to think of the best way to address the entire world without wasting anymore time. It would have to be somewhere where the whole world would be able to see him, a big gathering of sorts would do, with camera crews and paparazzi available to spread the message.

That was when it hit him, the tournament of course! Stretching out his senses, he found that the vast majority of earth's population were situated on the tiny isle of Papaya, and there was sure to be news reporters around from every major television channel, especially given the dramatic events that had recently transpired.

The young saiyan was busy having a mini celebration at his genius, and was about to relay his plan to Videl, when a sudden roar entered his mind -

 _"BRAT! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"_

Gohan immediately felt dizzy, bells ringing in his head, as Videl looked towards him in confusion, "Ow Vegeta!"

 _"Well?_ " the prince seethed, " _Aren't you supposed to be convincing the blasted earthling's to give up their energy?! You've wasted enough time as it is!"_

"But I had to wait sixty minutes for the bleach to work!" he protested, lifting his head towards the sky.

 _"And you spent an extra twenty admiring yourself!"_

"Well we had to check we'd gotten all the roots," the teenager huffed, folding his arms across his chest.

 _"Enough wasting time!"_ Vegeta roared, _"Buu is -!"_

Suddenly, he cut off.

"Vegeta?" Gohan mused aloud, "Vegeeeeeeeeta?"

Bollocks.

"That didn't sound good," Videl said worriedly.

"Yeah," the teen winced, shaking himself out of his thoughts and grasping the girl tightly around the waist, "Come on, there's no more time to loose, we've got to get to the tournament!"

"Oh no you don't!" she yelped suddenly, pushing his hands away, "There's no way I'm flying with _you_ again!"

He gave her an apologetic look, Videl had screamed at him all the way from the wastelands as he fired them as quickly as he could towards West City. Her cheeks were still tear stained from how much her eyes had watered, her hair had fallen out of her pigtails, the ebony locks frizzy and wild from the flight.

"Alright, well you stay here and I'll-"

"No way! I'm coming with you!" She protested hotly, "Hasn't Bulma got a spare jet copter or something lying around?"

Gohan sighed, in all honesty, he could just fly off and leave her, but she would be furious with him for abandoning her. There was no way a jet copter would be fast enough. He racked his brains, biting his lip in thought when an idea popped into his mind.

Videl looked towards him in confusion as the young saiyan put his thumb and forefinger into his mouth, letting out a high pitched whistle that echoed over the grounds of Capsule Corp.

"What are you-?" Videl started, but she was cut short by an almighty roar that echoed over the entirety of the city.

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, as the large purple dragon landed softly on the grass beside Gohan, purring deeply at the sight of him.

"I-is that a dragon?" the girl gaped, as the young saiyan scratched Icarus affectionately on the snout.

Gohan scoffed, "Of all the things you've seen today and you're shocked at a dragon?"

Videl blinked, "You know what, fair point."

"Right," the halfling informed her, "Icarus is a bit more gentle in his flight than I am, so you should have no problem. Get on."

"W-what?" she choked, as the large dragon suddenly caught sight of her.

Icarus sniffed at the air, a low growl reverberating in his chest as smoke started to emit from his nostrils. His large pale yellow eyes surveyed the Satan girl as she took a step forwards, causing him to growl even more.

"Woah, woah boy," Gohan cooed, "This is Videl, she's a friend. Be nice alright? We need to get to the tournament as quickly as possible."

The dragon gave a snort of disapproval, causing Videl to glare at him.

"I don't think he likes me," she observed in annoyance.

"Don't be daft, he just isn't used to you yet," he offered, giving Icarus a stern look, "You'll look after her now, won't you boy?"

Slowly, Icarus obeyed his master, lowering himself further to the ground so that Videl could climb onto his back more easily. Though he still didn't look happy about the new guest.

"See he's fine!" Gohan exclaimed, turning towards Videl, "Now get on the dragon."

"I never thought I'd hear that sentence come out of a person's mouth," she said dumbly.

The teenager sighed, "I'm going to have to give you some flying lessons after all this is over."

"You'd better make that a promise Son Gohan," she glared as she clambered clumsily onto Icarus' back.

The purple dragon let out a low growl, as the girl held tightly onto the spikes on his spine.

"Ready?" Gohan asked with a small smile.

Videl gulped, but she didn't have time to answer as Icarus opened his large wingspan and took off into the clouds. The girl screamed loudly, causing the young saiyan to roll his eyes before he kicked off from the ground and fired himself into the air after them.


	39. Super Saiyan Buu

_Here we go! Another 15 pages of Gohan's story! Hope you're all enjoying it so far! Thank you for all your support and the lovely reviews! The end is in sight guys! :O! xxx_

 **Chapter Thirty-Eight**

 **Super Saiyan Buu**

 **xxxx**

It didn't take too long for him to spot the vast terrain of Papaya Island just off the southern coast. Videl had finally quietened down, and had opened her eyes to gaze at the sparkling ocean below. Gohan was about a mile in front of them, yet slowed in his flight as they came close to being above the tournament entrance.

The teenager didn't have to stretch out his senses to find out where the majority of people had congregated, as no sooner did he gaze below him did he spot an enormous crowd that were gathered around the entrance of Le Satane Hotel. He blinked, as a rather frazzled looking Mister Satan struggled to address the enormous flock of people, various microphones shoved into his face and throngs of reporters flapping around him.

"Mister Satan! Can you explain the strange events that have transpired at the tournament today?" One reporter in a tweed cap chirped hurriedly.

"What about those odd looking people that destroyed half of the arena? Some say they were demons!" another flapped.

"Our sources inform us that the monster terrorising the cities has suddenly vanished! Do you take responsibility for this?"

"Champ, in your opinion, are we in the mist of the apocalypse?"

"And what about all those people claiming that their families have been resurrected? Mister Satan, as our saviour, do you know what is happening?"

"Mister Satan! Mister Satan! A question -!"

"Mister Satan, over here -!"

The crowd was in uproar, yet all Hercule could do was sweat, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. He had no answer for them, of course, he was just as clueless as the rest of them. Gohan had never seen the earthling's so distraught, the whole Buu ordeal was causing mass hysteria across the entire planet. Well, if you didn't count the people shopping in West City. City people…

Mister Satan cowered under the television camera's, looking as though he wanted nothing more than the ground to swallow him up whole when a shout from behind Gohan caught his attention.

"Dad!"

"V-Videl?!" The Champ gasped, his blue eyes widening at the sight of his daughter swooping in front of him on top of a large dragon, causing the crowd to rapidly disperse so that Icarus could land.

Gohan quickly followed suit, landing beside Icarus and helping Videl down. The crowd started to shriek and chatter excitedly as they caught sight of the pair. Though there was no time for any kind of questioning or explanation as Hercule thundered over to them, wrapping his hairy arms around Videl's waist and pulling her into a bone crushing hug.

"Oh my baby girl!" Satan sniffed, cradling her tightly, "I had no idea where you'd got to! With that Buu character running around and all those crazy people, I thought-"

The Champ cut short, his gaze finally settling on Gohan, "YOU!"

The crowd squeaked, as Hercule dropped Videl to the ground and rounded on the young saiyan, a murderous look upon his features. Yet the teen held his stance, as the irate man leered towards him, his nose almost touching his.

"How dare you!" Hercule bellowed, "Kidnapping my daughter?! I'll have you for this kid!"

"He didn't kidnap me dad," Videl spouted with a roll of her eyes, picking herself up from the floor.

"Oh he didn't did he?!" the man spat, his penetrative stare not leaving the halfling, "Then what are you doing hanging around him eh?! I thought you had more sense! I knew there was something funny about him when he jumped in the match with Spopovich! Filthy boy! I'll teach you not to mess with _my_ daughter!"

The teenager sighed hopelessly, the progress he had made with the Champ earlier that day flying out of the window. Icarus began to growl in warning beside Videl, who's face suddenly grew red with anger.

"Leave him alone Dad for Kami's sake!" She shouted, "There's something bigger going on here!"

"Don't change the subject sweetheart," Hercule soothed, before he aimed his angered tone at the young man in front of him, "Listen up kid, I don't care who the hell you think you are or how much merchandise you've sold, I AM THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD! There's no way you and your friend's tricks are going to impress my little girl! None of that can compare to pure power! You're nothing but a jumped up little punk!"

Gohan seethed, his anger getting the better of him, "Oh punk now is it? Right, I'll have to remember that one the next time I'm climbing off your daughter."

"WHY YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" The Champ roared, aiming a furious fist towards the halfling.

The crowd around them gasped, but not at Gohan's words or Hercule's reaction. No, it was at the fact that Mister Satan's almighty punch had been effortlessly blocked by The Gold Fighter's index finger. Hercule blinked, panic in his eyes as a wide smirk spread across the young saiyan's lips.

 **BOOM**

The crowd shrieked, as Hercule Satan was knocked flying by a sudden force, to the untrained eye, it would have appeared as though the Champ had been blown away by a rather powerful gust of wind. Hercule gaped up at Gohan from where he had landed unceremoniously on his bottom, his eyes widening in the sudden terror that gripped him.

"I know why you asked me to get back into the tournament," Mister Satan seethed, gulping down his fear, though he failed to move from his position on the ground, "Forget beating Spopovich, you just wanted to show off! Not a bad display kid, but if you think it's going to work on me then you've got another thing coming!"

"And as for Videl," he continued, his face red with anger, "You can forget ever seeing her again! If you even look at her, and I mean even a glance! I don't care who or what kind of freak you are, I'll break your skinny little arms off!"

"Dad for crying out loud!" Videl growled, her cheeks crimson with both embarrassment and fury, "Will you just let it go! I'm eighteen! I don't need your permission, and I'll date whoever the hell I feel like!"

"B-but V-Videl," Hercule whimpered, the crowd's heads darting to and from the father-daughter duo as they continued to argue.

"Right, now that _that's_ over with," Gohan drawled, turning to address the shocked spectators, "Listen up everyone, I'm sure you're all wondering what's been happening today. It's a very long story, one that'll take way too long to explain. All you need to know is that I need your help, you see, there's a very powerful monster named Majin Buu that's been attacking the planet and he'll come back and destroy everything if you don't raise your hands in the air and give up your energy-"

"Just what are you trying to pull kid?" Mister Satan interrupted, regaining his composure and picking himself off the pavement, "This is _my_ tournament, and I've already had enough of your funny business!"

The teenager ignored him, raising his hands towards the sky as the crowd eyed him in confusion, "Look it's easy, see? You just have to raise your hands like this and be willing to let everything go. It's not going to hurt you, trust me, it's going to help the guys fighting this monster to destroy him once and for all!"

"It's true!" Videl joined him, as no one made a move, "I've seen The Gold Fighter fight Buu with my own eyes, but the only way to defeat him now is to give up our energy to the other's fighting him. They're far away from here, so we've got to give it all we've got!"

"Videl what are you saying?!" Hercule spat, "I've never known such rubbish in all my life! If anyone is going to beat this Buu monster then it's going to be me!"

At is words, the reporters burst into excitable chatter, shoving their microphones to the Champ's lips.

"Is that really true Mister Satan sir? Are you really going to challenge Buu?"

"But where is he now? Our sources inform us that he disappeared hours ago!"

Hercule scoffed, a wicked smirk spreading across his lips, "Well, he obviously heard who's planet he was dealing with and got scared. Forget what The Gold Fighter says, we don't need to help anyone. I think this Buu character has run off because he knows that the champs in town! YEAHHHHHHHH!"

The crowd erupted into cheers as Mister Satan performed a mighty pose, grinning wickedly at the cameras. Gohan was about ready to slap him around his gloating face, when Videl cut through the applause.

"Cut the crap Dad!" The girl seethed, her cheeks reddening with anger as the cheers ceased abruptly, "I'm serious here! If we don't get the Earth to raise their hands up and give up their energy then Majin Buu will kill us all!"

Hercule snorted, "Come off it Videl, you honestly expect me to believe The Gold Fighter of all people?! He's nothing but a liar and a fake!"

"Just like you then?" she retorted.

Gohan's eyes widened, as some of the crowd frowned in confusion.

"W-what?" The Champ stammered, blinking at the young woman in front of him.

Videl gritted her teeth, tears shining in her eyes, "I know everything Dad."

Hercule stuttered, "W-what do you m-mean sweet-pea?"

" _Don't_ make me say it in front of all these reporters," she glowered, Mister Satan was stunned.

The silence was almost deafening, until Hercule broke the sudden tension, glancing between Gohan and Videl, "L-let's go inside and talk."

As Mister Satan barricaded the doors to the lobby, subsequently shutting out the rabid reporters, Gohan couldn't help but feel a little awkward. Here he was, standing somewhat helplessly next to one of the gold plated Hercule busts whilst the man himself positivity trembled under his daughter's stare.

"Videl, I can explain -," Hercule started, but Videl cut across him fiercely.

"There's no need," she stated boldly, "I know you didn't defeat Cell, I know that you've been building a web of lies since I was eleven. But what I don't know is how you're going to untangle yourself from this mess, and worst of all I can't even begin to think what made you do it in the first place! How could you take all the credit for something a _little boy_ did?! How could you lie to the world like that Dad? How could you lie to me?!"

"V-Videl," the large man struggled, tears in his eyes. He looked utterly defeated.

"Gohan's family told me the truth," Videl sighed, "But I'd like to hear it from you, for once."

"Gohan?" Hercule blinked, causing the girl to roll her eyes at him.

 _"Yes_ Dad, Gohan," she huffed, gesturing to the teen next to her, "Aka The Gold Fighter, The Delivery Boy, the one that _actually_ defeated Cell."

Mister Satan gulped, his eyes scanning him, "Y-you're him? You're really him?"

"The one and only," said Gohan, giving him a disapproving look from behind his visor, "what were you saying about me being a liar and a fake? Please do go on, I'm just itching for you to elaborate on all the so called tricks I used against Cell."

Hercule stared at him for a moment, the silence was almost unnerving. Until, to Gohan's surprise, did the man let out a dry sob, hot tears escaping his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. The Champ lunged himself at the young saiyan, grasping hold of his legs and burying his face into his cloak as he continued to cry.

"I'm so sorry!" he bawled, clutching the backs of Gohan's knees tightly, "Please don't kill me!"

Videl scoffed, folding her arms across her chest and turning away from her father in disgust.

"I'm not going to kill you, stupid," said Gohan with a roll of his eyes, stepping out of his grip so that the man crumpled to the floor in a pitiful heap.

Hercule blinked up at him, "Y-you're not?"

"Of course not," the teenager sighed, "Even though you're a massive prat with an even bigger ego, I don't hate you enough to kill you, even though I could do it quicker and easier than you could sign an autograph."

He squeaked, his eyes darting between the teens.

"And it's too late to apologise for what you've said about me and my friends," Gohan continued, "But it might not be too late to apologise to your daughter. Trust me, I never wanted any of the so called glory for defeating Cell anyway, I'd even go as far to say that you did me and my family a favour."

Mister Satan lowered his head, utterly ashamed of himself, "I am really sorry, to you and Videl. I-I didn't know what else to do. Your friends just flew off with you after you defeated Cell, and when the reporter's came to they asked me if I had finally killed that monster, and well -"

He paused, sighing heavily, "I jumped at the chance. I was being selfish I know, but I wanted to give my little girl a better life. Her mother left us not too long before, and what good can a single dad do when all he knows how to do is break roof tiles and pull buses? I knew that it was wrong, I did, to take credit for something I couldn't dream of doing, you were just a kid! And how would it look? How would it look to the world if a little boy did what no man could do? They'd be scared, terrified that we couldn't look after ourselves, have to rely on children of all things! I-I didn't know what to do, I'm really truly sorry Gohan, I am."

Gohan stared at the man, struggling with himself.

"Oh Daddy," Videl sighed, her gaze softening.

She steadily walked towards him, and he took this opportunity to pull her into a rib cracking hug, sobbing on her shoulder as she stroked his back in soothing, forgiving circles.

The young saiyan bit his lip, the man was broken, no longer the boasting pompous fool stood in front of him. No, he was a single father trying to do the best and make money for his daughter - albeit through one of the most deceptive ways imaginable. As much as he was an annoying twit, Gohan couldn't help but feel for the poor bloke. And if Videl of all people could forgive him for that, then he would be mad for not doing the same.

"It's alright Mister Satan," said Gohan finally, causing the man to look up at him in shock, "Believe me when I said that I didn't want any of the fame. I just wanted the world to be safe again, which is one of the reasons why I started protecting the cities as The Gold Fighter. My family might not have all the money in the world, the biggest house or the flashiest cars, but they are happy - or at least, they were until Majin Buu showed up."

"I'm sorry kid," Satan sighed, blowing his nose loudly on a handkerchief Videl had offered him, "I wish there was something I could do to help, but this Majin Buu sounds even worse than Cell."

"Well he certainly gives him a run for his money," said the halfling, "But that doesn't mean we can't beat him."

"W-we?" The Champ asked, both him and Videl giving him an odd look.

Gohan offered them a small smile, "Yeah, as it turns out I'm not so great at talking to crowds. You can help us by convincing the earthling's to give up their energy."

"I don't know…" he mustered uncertainly.

"Come on Daddy," Videl grinned reassuringly, "I know you can do it. Besides, it'll really help Gohan and his friends out."

Hercule looked at his daughter, giving her hand an affectionate squeeze before breaking out into his usual wide grin, "Alright, I'll do it. I think it's about time the Champ did something to help save the world!"

"That's the spirit!" she beamed, helping him to his feet, "Now Dad, we have to act fast, Goku and the other's are fighting Buu as we speak, we need all the energy we can to send to them to beat him!"

"Goku?" Satan gaped, "You mean the former champion? Well I'll be darned!"

"We can do the meet and greets later," Gohan said hurriedly, unlocking the doors much to the excitement of the crowd, "Come on Champ, let's see what you're made of!"

It didn't take long for the earthling's to give up their energy due to Mister Satan's pleas, and soon the Earth was aglow with the soft light of energy that hummed around them. It floated up towards the sky, sparkling amongst the clouds as they made their way across the cosmos, galaxies and dimensions, floating away to join the ever growing spirit bomb above his father's fingertips.

It was a dazzling sight to see, even more dazzling than the sight of the World Champion and The Gold Fighter working together. Icarus purred beside him, the light of the life energy of Earth reflecting in his pale green eyes. Gohan couldn't help but smile, intertwining his fingers with Videl's as she too was enchanted by the glowing orbs.

They waited patiently for a few minutes, watching as the crowd around them laughed with excitement, their palms stretched towards the sky, not one of them caring how ridiculous they looked.

But slowly, Gohan's smile began to fade, as he was expecting to hear some kind of confirmation from The Supreme Kai or his father that their efforts had been successful.

He frowned, tilting his head towards the sky and shouting above the cheers. "That enough energy for ya dad?" he spoke, his voice still cheerful, "Dad? Hellooooooo?"

Videl looked towards him, her brow furrowed in confusion, when suddenly the desperate voice of The Supreme Kai echoed through their minds.

 _"Gohan! Majin Buu has vanished!"_

Gohan's stomach flipped, "What do you mean? He's dead? Did it work?!"

But the Kai did not answer, instead, the frantic voice of Dende sounded in his head.

 _"Buu is here! I-I don't know how he did it, but he's here on Namek!"_

The young saiyan's blood ran cold, "What?! Get out of there Dende! Tell Kibito to take you back!"

 _"I can't, he's dead,"_ came his friend's solemn cry, " _And Majin Buu has Gokuto."_

 **xxxx**

No.

No, no, no, no! Damn it! Why did he think it was a good idea to leave?! He would have thought Gokuto would have been safe on planet Namek! How had Buu managed to get there so quickly? The young saiyan felt incredibly sick, his mind slipping out of focus as the roar of the crowd around him faded into nothing.

Buu must have gone after Gokuto when he realised that Gohan was no longer on the Grand Kai's planet. But why go after Gokuto and not him? Was he too much of a challenge for the manic monster? The teenager couldn't think straight, all he could think about was getting to his son. Guilt, fury and utter agony began to pool at the pit of his stomach. He shouldn't have left him, he shouldn't have left him so unprotected.

"Gohan! Gohan snap out of it!" came Videl's aghast shout.

His vision came into to focus, and he found himself face to face with her, her sapphire eyes shining with worry as her hands clutched either side of his cheeks. Icarus growled gently, nudging his arm with his snout.

"G-Gokuto…" he said numbly, panic rising in his chest, "I-I have to get to him, I-"

A sudden blinding light encompassed the tournament grounds, causing the crowd to scream and run for cover. Mister Satan shrieked in fright, grabbing hold of Videl protectively as non other did The Supreme Kai appear in front of them.

"Grab on!" He bellowed, his robes torn and bloodied from battle.

The young saiyan took hold of his outstretched hand without hesitation, barely aware of Videl grabbing hold of his cape as they vanished with another flash of brilliant light.

When they reappeared, Gohan couldn't help but think that they had gone back in time, were it not for the crippling power of Majin Buu that suddenly flooded his senses. New Namek looked exactly the same as it's predecessor, neatly trimmed grass and turquoise oceans greeted them, three burning suns hanging in the deep green sky. The planet was a lot smaller than he remembered, having had looked so vast in his youth. Yet the same circular trees surrounded him, along with the white stone buildings that the Namekian's lived and worked in.

He frowned, something didn't feel right. The sky should be dark, Dende had summoned Porunga and should be still awaiting instructions on what to do with the other two wishes. He gulped, as it was with a heavy heart that he realised that the area they were in was mostly destroyed. The domed houses smoking and it's structures crumbled, several Namekian's lay face down on the ground. Dead.

A flashback to the time of Frieza's invasion entered his mind, and the young saiyan failed to keep himself from shaking with rage.

"Where the hell are we?!" Mister Satan cried, cowering from behind Videl and shouting at The Supreme Kai, "Who are you?! And why are you purple?!"

"Be quiet Dad!" Videl yelled, as Icarus snorted in agreement, smoke rising from his nostrils.

Gohan ignored them, it was bad enough that they had hitched along for the ride. He had to find Gokuto, though he was sure he was in the direction of Buu's terrifying energy.

Though, he wouldn't have to wait long to find out.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

The teenager's heart caught in his throat, as Lime's scream reached his ears. In no time at all, did the halfling kick off from the ground and speed towards the source. He hit the ground running, just as Majin Buu aimed a fuchsia blast towards the raging red head.

Gohan intercepted it quickly, backhanding the white hot beam and sending it careening up into the air, where it exploded in a shower of horrific reddening light.

"Gohan!" Lime gasped, tears streaming down her cheeks as the shockwaves subsided.

She was already injured, he noticed, a gash cut right across her cheek and she clutched onto her side in pain. The young saiyan gritted his teeth as Dende ran to heal the girl, though the Namekian was in a state of shock himself, the bodies of Elder Moori and his brothers littering the ground around them. Ah, so that was why the sky wasn't dark, the dragonballs were connected to the Elder after all. Gohan couldn't see any sign of Kibito, though he reasoned that the godly being had already been transported to Otherworld.

Buu's sickening laughter echoed around them, his gaze fixated on Gokuto. A spark of Ki told him that The Supreme Kai had reached the scene, along with Videl and Mister Satan who were sat atop Icarus.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?!" Mister Satan cried from behind them.

"Saiyan! Saiyan! Come here tiny saiyan!" Buu shrieked almost gleefully as he approached the toddler.

"We have to get him out of there, _now_!" Shin roared, his eyes wide with panic.

Gokuto was shaking with terror as the monster neared, his tail hair stood on end and his eyes glistening with tears. Gohan growled menacingly, taking no notice of the Kai that cried out desperately as he kicked off from the ground and careened towards the wicked Majin.

 **BOOM.**

Gohan's boot connected with Buu's skull, though, it was in vain. The young saiyan was far too injured to deliver any real damage, and the monster knew this. Buu cackled loudly, grabbing the teen's outstretched leg and flinging him across the small village, where he was knocked straight into a nearby building, sending the white stone collapsing on top of him.

"GOHAN!" Videl cried, as the halfling struggled to his feet, blood pouring from his mouth as he clutched onto his aching side.

He was starting to feel dizzy, his mind foggy as he berated himself for not getting healed by Dende sooner. A blast sounded from somewhere in the distance, as The Supreme Kai attempted to slow the monster down, but it was futile.

The Kai soon met the same fate as Gohan, as he was batted away easily by the brute and landed ungracefully in one of the Namekian's vegetable patches, kicking up compost as he skidded to a halt. The teenager spat viciously on the ground, easing himself out of the debris and taking another running hit at Buu.

"No Gohan don't!" Dende roared, as Gohan's fist sunk into the monster's flesh, causing him to let out another bark of laughter.

"He he! That tickled!" Buu shrieked, before the young saiyan was once again reacquainted with the dirt.

Gohan cried out in pain and frustration as he struggled to sit up, pain radiating throughout his entire body. He was bleeding profusely from his torso, though Dende was still busy tending to Lime. Videl ran to him, terror in her eyes as she clutched his shoulders to her, though all they could do was watch helplessly as Majin Buu turned his attention back towards Gokuto.

"Hmm, what Buu do with saiyan?" he cooed, causing the little boy to trip on his tail and fall onto his bottom.

Gokuto quivered, his back hitting a wall of rock as he tried to retreat. It was no use, he was trapped. There was no escape.

The manic Majin cackled at the little saiyan's predicament, "Ooh Buu knows, Buu knows!"

"GOKUTO!" Gohan screamed, yet where he was expecting a blinding flash of light to explode from Buu's palm, did what seem like a ball of goopy flesh erupt from his back and fire itself towards the toddler.

Gokuto cried out, gasping for air as the sticky pink goop surrounded him, encompassing his small body until his screams were silenced. Horror stricken, Gohan and the other's could only watch as the ball of flesh sprang back, remoulding with Majin Buu's body and causing a brilliant fuchsia light to encompass the entire planet.

He could barely hear Lime's desperate cries over the roar of violent winds that encompassed the area. At some point, the young saiyan felt himself being pulled upwards and dragged towards the entrance of one of the houses. Buu's laughter rang in his ears as he looked up to see that The Supreme Kai and Videl had moved him over to the others, away from the centre of the fray.

"S-supreme Kai!" Gohan yelled hysterically, coming to his senses, "W-what's happening?!"

The Kai did not look at him, his jaw was clenched and he stared out in front of them as the light began to fade, "The end of everything."

The young saiyan was about to ask him just what the bloody hell he meant when he could sight of the figure in front of him. The first thing he noticed, was that his power was gastronomical, far above anything that Buu was before. The second thing, was that Buu was significantly taller, with lean muscle and a more humanoid appearance. He still wore the white baggy trousers, but it was now accompanied by the dark jacket that looked eerily similar to the one Gokuto was wearing moments earlier. Buu had grown hair, black and spikey hair that fell to just above his waist. His antenna had disappeared altogether. A long brown saiyan tail whipped around behind him before it curled around his middle.

Gohan was astounded, horror stricken even. The beast could have been mistaken for a saiyan, were it not for his vibrant pink skin. His facial features were almost the same as Gokuto's, though looked sharper, more defined in their appearance. But worst of all, worst of all was those bright emerald green eyes that suddenly found his. They looked towards him with malice, no purity or innocence left within the iris'. Then, Buu opened his mouth, sharp white teeth grinning at him as he spoke in a deep earth-like voice.

"Hello, Daddy."

 **xxxx**

Gohan couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Buu, he couldn't have. Could he? Somehow he had taken on Gokuto's appearance. And that power, the power felt as though the young boy's Ki signature was intermingled with Buu's. But it was significantly darker, evil, and more crippling than ever before.

He heard Lime whimper from behind him, as the other's were too flabbergasted to speak. They stared at this new Majin Buu, who all but cocked his head innocently to the side, emerald eyes still fixated on Gohan.

"What's wrong _Daddy_?" the monster taunted, "Don't you want to fight me?"

The teenager growled with rage. _How dare he_. How dare that beast use that name. The name that his innocent little boy used for him and only him, said with so much love and admiration, only now to be tainted by the wicked Majin. Gohan watched, fury erupting in his chest as Buu started to chuckle devilishly, his saiyan tail unravelling from his waist and whipping around behind him.

"What have you done with my son you monster?!" the young saiyan spat, struggling to his feet and glaring furiously at the Majin.

"Gohan…" Videl whispered, as he steadied himself into an awkward stance, one arm wrapping around his middle to clutch his shattered ribs.

"Stupid boy," Majin Buu chortled, the sound causing shivers down his spine, "Your son was never yours to begin with. He belongs to the Gods."

Gohan gritted his teeth angrily, "What the hell are you on about?! He doesn't belong to you, now give him back!"

"Oh?" the beast quirked, "And are you going to make me? In your condition?!"

Laughter reached his ears once more, as Buu continued to goad him, "Well come on then _saiyan_ , if you think your power can measure up to my own…"

The teenager said nothing, his heart was pounding relentlessly in his chest. Yet he couldn't move an inch.

"What's this?" Buu chortled, "Not willing to fight me eh? The little saiyan is most disappointed. Daddy was supposed to be his hero. Yet here you are, unwilling to fight for him, he's wondering why you let me take him in the first place."

"Shut up!" Gohan roared, tears stinging the corners of his eyes, "Just shut up! You know nothing about Gokuto!"

The beast stared at the halfling, before a wide smirk spread across his features, "Oh but I do. The child is now a part of me after all. Hm, I wonder if Daddy would change his mind if slaughtered Mummy?"

Gohan's eyes widened as a purple corkscrew of energy erupted from Buu's palm and hurtled towards them. The young saiyan instinctively made a grab for Lime behind him, ignoring his injuries as he gathered her up in his arms and phased out before the blast connected with the building's behind them.

He was glad to find that The Supreme Kai and Icarus had gotten the other's out of the way, though now the entire village was engulfed in flames. The roar of the fires intermingled with the raucous laughter of Majin Buu.

"Impressive," the monster chimed, as Gohan lowered both him and Lime back towards the ground, "I see you're not completely hindered by your injuries. It's a shame though, I hoped that the fight would have lasted longer. It's been many years since I've had to deal with a pest as troublesome as you. Though I must say it was entertaining to see your reaction as the light left your son's eyes."

"Gokuto…" Lime trembled as she gripped onto his waist, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Lime, get back to The Supreme Kai," Gohan stated boldly, "Tell him to take you out of here."

The red head's eyes widened, "But Gohan, you can't fight him! You're hurt! There's no way you can get Gokuto back like that!"

"I have to try," he croaked, before lifting into the air and leaving her behind on the ground.

Buu smirked wickedly, following suit so that they floated across from one another in the air. The skies were steadily darkening due to the raw power that emanated from the beast. The teenager gritted his teeth, as he tried to ignore the Kai's desperate shouts from below.

"Gohan what are you doing?!" Shin cried, "We have to get out of here! What you're doing is hopeless!"

"I'm not leaving without Gokuto!" Gohan shot back, his power rising as a bolt of electricity rippled over his torso.

He barely had any power left, he and the Kai both knew it. He had lost a lot of blood, but he would put the other's in danger if he were to risk disappearing to get Dende to heal him. But judging by the malicious look upon Buu's face, it was unlikely that he would give him the chance to anyway.

"Very noble of you Daddy," Buu grinned, "But surely you know your effort will be in vain?"

"Stop calling me that!" the teenager growled, "You're not my son!"

"Oh but I am," the beast chimed almost gleefully, "and I'll give you a moment to let that sink in. The powers I now wield are not all my own, and with them I will bring this universe to it's knees. Oh yes, I want this to be your last memory _brat_ of the Kai's, I want you to look at the monster you've created."

Yet Buu was not truthful in his words, as the moment never came, and as soon as the last syllable had rolled off the Majin's tongue, was Gohan hit full force by his almighty fist. His bones shuddered and groaned, and the teen failed to keep the scream from escaping his throat.

The ancient brute's cackles echoed in his ears as blood poured unforgivingly from his torso. His rib cage was almost none existent now, the amount of blood he was loosing starting to cloud his mind. He could vaguely hear Videl, Lime and Dende's screams of terror, he could hear the Kai and Mister Satan shouting something. He heard Icarus roar in desperation as he dropped out of the sky, his body hitting the solid earth.

Though this new Buu didn't let up, as Gohan tried to scramble away from him. He was much less durable, now alive and gravely injured, and could only play privy to the monster's relentless attacks. Manic laughter filled the air surrounding him, as blow after blow connected with his mangled body.

Then suddenly, it stopped.

A sharp pain radiated through his skull as pink humanoid fingers lifted him up by his dyed blonde hair, and Gohan was forced to look into those striking emerald eyes.

"Night night Daddy," came a menacing voice.

A brilliant purple light blinded his vision, a desperate scream reached his ears, and then there was blackness.

 **xxxx**

Gohan groaned, his head was pounding, and the annoying sound of distant humming wasn't helping in the slightest.

"It's alright Gohan," came a familiar voice, "Just stay still, almost done."

The voice was very close to him, and stretching out his senses, he could just make out a range of Ki signatures surrounding him through the haze. He was lying on a cool, hard surface that wasn't serving him any such comfort. Slowly, the young saiyan creaked open his eyelids, his vision blurred until a familiar violet sky came into view, dotted with fluffy yellow clouds.

Oh for fuck sake.

"I'm dead again aren't I?" the teenager moaned, screwing up his features in despair.

A soft chuckle came from above him, causing Gohan to look towards the source.

"No Gohan," said The Supreme Kai, now fully healed by a halo topped Kibito, "Though you almost were."

"You should have listened to The Supreme Kai sooner and did as you were told," Kibito growled, "Heavens knows what we would have done if you were killed again, only the Namekian dragonballs could have brought you back as you've been revived once before!"

"Wow Kibito I didn't know you cared," the halfling spat, when his heart suddenly leapt to his throat, his mind flooding with the image of Buu absorbing Gokuto. His son's dazzling eyes shining out of the fierce beast, how he failed to stop the boy from getting hurt, and how Majin Buu beat him until he was near death.

Gokuto.

A sudden force hit his chest as he sat himself up, and it didn't take him long to realise that Lime had launched herself at him, sobbing uncontrollably into his black and blue bodice that was in severe need of stitching back together.

"Oh Gohan," the girl cried, her voice muffled as he stroked her auburn locks in a soothing manner, "W-what did he do to our baby? What d-did he d-do to h-him?"

The young saiyan said nothing. He should have been able to stop Buu, he should have been there. There was no excuse for it. Fury filled his chest, the anger he felt both directed at the monstrous beast and himself.

"I'm so sorry Gohan," Dende said gently, sitting back on his heels and pulling his healing hands away from him.

Though it was Gohan who felt as though he should be apologising to him, his friend had lost his family once again. The Z-gang were all giving him forlorn looks, including the warriors and Kai's that were poking their heads through the gaps in the small crowd trying to get a good look at him. He was relieved to find that Videl and Mister Satan had made it out unscathed, though the latter looked increasingly uncomfortable as he stood next to Icarus. The large dragon seemed to be keeping him in check.

A twinkle of light caught his eye in the distance. The spirit bomb, aglow with the swirling energies of planet Earth, and just as useful as a chocolate teapot. He was fully healed now, and he was glad to find that his ribcage wasn't sticking out of him for everyone to see. His Gold Fighter costume was in tatters, though there was much more pressing things to address than the state of his clothes.

"Where is Buu?" Gohan asked forcibly, not missing how the majority of the Z-warriors averted their eyes away from him.

"Destroying the cosmos," Old Kai informed him gravely, "It seems he's testing out his new found saiyan powers. I must say, he particularly enjoyed blowing new Namek into dust."

"I don't understand, what happened to Gokuto?" asked Videl through the beat of silence.

"I'm afraid that Gokuto is now apart of Buu," Shin sighed, "He has absorbed his energy, along with his body. He is now more sane, yes, because of the mortality within, yet fusing with another being has made him more powerful than ever before."

The teenager gritted his teeth in anger, "Damn it! Why couldn't he have just absorbed me?!"

"I believe we would have been in a much graver situation if he had," said The Supreme Kai, giving him a stern look.

Gohan sighed wordlessly, the form of Lime still gripped tightly to him. Her shoulders were racked with sobs, and the young saiyan felt as though he would like nothing more than to cry along with her. It wouldn't do well to give in to his emotions right now though, not with Gokuto being trapped within a monsters body, Namek destroyed and the morale of the Z-fighter's at rock bottom.

He bit his lip as he pushed his feelings to the wayside, though he silently prayed that someone would come up with some sort of plan. Everyone was staring at the young parents with sadness in their eyes, though no one made any effort to speak or offer solution to their grief. Not even his father, who was busy comforting his distraught mother.

Majin Buu was now stronger than ever before, and they were already struggling to defeat him with Gohan, a super saiyan three, a fusion, a wizard and all of the Z-Fighter's and deceased warriors combined. What were they going to do? He couldn't help but think that Shin was right, if they didn't defeat him, it really would mean the end of everything.

"You should be dead," Vegeta spoke suddenly, giving the young saiyan an odd look.

Gohan couldn't help but roll his eyes, "Sorry to disappoint you Vegeta."

"He's right," said Piccolo, his arms folded across his muscular chest and concern for the halfling in his eyes, "Buu could have easily killed you in the condition you were in, but he didn't."

"Yes!" His father exclaimed, beaming ear to ear, "So Gokuto really _is_ in there somewhere! A part of him must have held back because he couldn't bring himself to kill Gohan!"

The Kai's eyes widened, "Well yes Goku, that does seem like a logical reason! Buu was so enraged, I thought for sure he would kill him, but he didn't!"

"You, wizard," Vegeta spat, as Gohan whirled around, he hadn't even noticed Babidi amongst them. "Have you ever heard of anything like this happening with Buu before?"

The wizard squeaked as the prince of all saiyan's addressed him, "W-well, from what I understand, Majin Buu has the ability to absorb other beings and acquire their energy and power. It's very ancient Majin magic, merging with other entities to obtain their abilities. Though I noticed that he was using his godly powers more so before absorbing the little runt, hence why he was able to get to Namek so quickly."

"But what does he gain from absorbing Gokuto?" Krillin piped up, "I know he's strong for his age but surely Buu can't become that much more powerful."

"The boy has very unusual energy," said Babidi, "I can't quite put my finger on it, but I daresay if he had lived then he would have shown quite the abilities."

"What the hell do you mean if he had lived?!" Lime growled, pushing herself away from Gohan and glaring at the wizard with tears in her eyes, "You talk about it like my baby's already dead! We're going to get him back! Aren't we?"

The girl looked at the young saiyan with pleading eyes, though it was his father that spoke.

"Of course we are Lime," the deceased man said boldly, ignoring the solemn looks of the Z-gang, "We just need to figure out a way of getting him back. Don't worry, there's no way I'm going to let Buu get away with capturing my only grandchild."

Lime smiled back, as his father gave him a reassuring wink. The teenager sighed, staring at his hands in his lap, he didn't feel comforted at all.

"Gohan, what's up son?" Goku asked, his eyes searching him.

The young saiyan snapped his head towards him, the anger and hatred he felt towards himself suddenly directed at his father before he could even think about stopping himself. " _What's up_? I'll tell you what's up Dad, an ancient magical God of Destruction absorbed my son and I'll probably never see him again."

"Don't talk like that kiddo," his father said gently, "We'll get him back, you'll see."

Gohan was furious, furious with Buu and furious with himself. He had let Gokuto get kidnapped three times today, and maybe, just maybe if he had been strong enough he would have been able to stop it. But no, he had once again messed around, gotten too cocky and not finished the job that he had been tasked with.

And there was his father, once again not understanding the gravity of the situation. Giving him that cheery grin that the halfling would have liked nothing more than to slap right off his annoying face.

"Gohan," Goku said again, bending to his height and touching his shoulder in comfort.

The teenager quickly shrugged him off, "Will you just _stop_ will the 'happy go lucky' crap?! Gokuto may as well be dead with what Buu's done to him, and you're just acting like everything is going to be alright! Why do you always do that?!"

Goku blinked, hurt flickered in his eyes as the teen refused to look at him, "Gohan I-"

"Leave him be Goku," Piccolo cut across him, causing the saiyan to sigh in defeat.

Vegeta snorted at the display, before turning to address Babidi once more, "So, you seem to know a lot about Buu's powers."

"Well, yes, my father did inflict a lot of magic upon the beast," he replied gruffly.

"Do you know anything about separating the two now the runt's been absorbed?"

The wizard growled, "No, I don't. You earthling's have asked too much of me already! There's no point in performing the spell to control Buu now, he is far too powerful. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to HFIL and spend the rest of my eternal death in misery-"

 **BOOM**

The Z-gang jumped, as Babidi suddenly exploded in a blinding flash and a shower of smoke.

"Ha! Nice," Vegeta barked with laughter as the rest of the group turned to the long haired teenager on the ground with wide, panicked eyes.

"Gohan!" Bulma shrieked, clutching Bulla tightly to her bosom in order to shield her, "What the hell did you do that for?"

"Ah," Gohan shrugged indifferently, "He'll come back in a second."

 **POP!**

"YOU BRAT!" Babidi cried, "How dare you!"

"I'll do it again if you don't tell me a way of getting Gokuto back," he growled, shaking an angry fist towards him.

The wizard seethed at the halfling, before taking a shuddering breath in an attempt to calm himself down.

"Alright fine," he sighed, all eyes looking towards him in interest, "The only way to get your little runt back is for you to get inside Buu."

Gohan stared, "Shouldn't I take him out to dinner first?"

He was promptly awarded with a smack on the head, curtsey of Videl and Lime.

"OW!"

"Even though Majin Buu has taken on traits of Gokuto's appearance, Gokuto still exists within Buu as a solid body," Babidi explained, ignoring Gohan as he rubbed his sore head, "His body should be whole, trapped somewhere within Buu."

"Well that throws blowing him up out of the window," Yamcha sighed, "Even if we could defeat Buu, we can't risk our little mate getting hurt too."

Babidi cleared his throat to get their attention, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I can use magic to shrink you. All you need to do is get close enough to Buu to get inside without detection, I suggest using one of his steam holes."

Gohan sighed in relief, "Well that's good to hear, never been a backdoor sort of bloke."

"That's all well and good," spouted The Supreme Kai, cutting across him and glaring at the wizard, "But how do we know we can trust you wizard?"

Babidi seemed to relish in the Kai's dilemma, "I don't see what other choice you have, Kai."

"Alright then," Piccolo mustered, a serious look upon his features, "We just need to draw Buu back here somehow so that Gohan can get close. The rest of us will hold Buu off until he's gotten Gokuto out of there. Babidi will cast the weakening spell and then Goku can fire the spirit bomb. That should put an end to all of this."

"Sounds like a plan," Goku grinned at his friend.

"I'll come with you," said Videl, giving him a warm smile, "I can help you look inside Buu."

"Videl! What are you saying?! You can't go with this reckless pu-!" Mister Satan cried, but quickly shut up as he was met with a stern glare from Chi-Chi.

Gohan raised an eyebrow at her, "You're sure?"

The Satan girl nodded, "Let's face it, I'm not a lot of use out here as I fighter am I?"

"Then I'm coming too," Lime stated firmly, "There's no way I'm going to sit out here worrying whilst Gokuto is inside that monster."

The young saiyan stared up at the two stubborn girls, neither of them budging in their stance. He sighed, knowing he would be fighting a loosing battle if he even attempted to try and persuade them otherwise. Slowly, he nodded his consent, offering them a small smile - it would be nice to have some company, he just hoped he didn't run into anything untoward within the monster's innards.

"Alright," Tien said boldly, clenching his fists in anticipation, "Let's power up, with a part saiyan inside him, there's no way Buu won't be up for a challenge."

The Supreme Kai nodded, his dark eyes settling on his father, "Goku, if you would, I think super saiyan three is in order."


	40. The Belly of The Beast

**Chapter Thirty-Nine**

 **The Belly of The Beast**

 **xxxx**

If anyone had told Gohan that morning that he would be spending his evening walking around the cavernous insides of an ancient magical being, then he would have surely questioned their sanity. He would have probably made a bet with them that if he were wrong then he would strip down to his birthday suit, turn super saiyan and parade himself around Satan City as the world's first naked superhero.

Luckily for the young saiyan, no such bet had been made, but it didn't make him feel any better about the current situation he was in. As it turned out, Tien was correct in his assumption that Buu wouldn't back away from the challenge of the raging power of the Z-fighters, giving the saiyan-ness he had acquired from Gokuto. It didn't take the beast long to tear himself away from destroying solar system after solar system, and soon he was upon the Grand Kai's planet, his saiyan tail waving about him as he relished in the challenge.

Gohan, Videl and Lime were already shrunken and waiting, and had managed to enter Buu's body just before his super saiyan three father launched him through a cliff face. The halfling just hoped that they could hold him off for long enough until they got Gokuto out.

They had entered one of the steam holes that ran along his torso as Babidi had suggested, though Gohan had next to no clue where Gokuto might be. His Ki was so intermingled with Buu's, it was impossible to try and single the toddler out amongst the darkness.

The sound of the Majin's manic laughter echoed all around him, which was both annoying and distracting. However, anything would be better than listening to the two girls behind him - the young saiyan was honestly starting to wonder why he ever let them come along.

"Gokuto? Gokutooooooooo?" Lime called as they trod carefully through the dark tunnels of Buu's innards, "Gokuto come to Mummy!"

"Shh be quiet!" scolded Videl, "We don't know what's out there! You could attract something!"

"Oh because you're the expert," the red head scoffed, "Didn't realise you'd been in an evil magical monster's belly before Videl, _sorry_."

Gohan rolled his eyes as he walked ahead of the two females, trying to figure out where they should try and look first. The teenager had a fairly good grasp of human anatomy, having been subjected to many complex biology textbooks from a young age. Plus, he was a father, and was well acquainted with the many places baby excrement could end up when the little nipper was having an 'explosion'. Yet the anatomy of a God of Destruction was all new to him, though as Buu was fairly humanoid in appearance, he could have a pretty good guess at where they were. And if his knowledge wasn't a good indication, well, there was the rancid smell that suddenly filled their nostrils.

"Aw man, it stinks!" Lime whined, covering her nose and mouth with her hand.

Videl coughed, her eyes watering, "I think we're close to the bowels."

" _Ew_ Videl!"

"I was just saying!"

"Well thank you for pointing out the obvious!" Lime spat back, before turning to him, "Oi Gohan, do you even know where you're going?"

"No I don't," the halfling stated haughtily, "And you two aren't making concentrating any easier!"

Both girl's glared at him.

"Well excuse us!" Videl scoffed.

Lime huffed, "Yeah, no need to get snappy."

Ugh.

"Yuck, what does this bloke eat?" Lime pondered after a while of more walking.

They came to what resembled a squishy riverbank, the ground almost soft underneath their shoes. A large well of fluid span out for what looked like miles ahead of them. It was an awful brown colour, and was giving off an even worse smell than before.

A loud grumble suddenly echoed around them, causing ripples to form in the offensive goop. The fleshy walls around them convulsed and shook, forcing the trio to grasp onto each other.

"Eek! What was that?!" Lime yelled over the violent noise.

"I don't know!" the young saiyan shouted, struggling to maintain his balance as the two girls clutched onto him for support, "But don't hold on so tight or else I'm going to -!"

"AHHHHHH!" The teenager's shrieked, as Gohan lost his footing, sending all three of them tumbling into the foul smelling water below.

The halfling gagged, spitting out a disgusting mouthful of dirty fluid before he was smacked upside the head by an enraged Videl.

"Idiot! Look what you did!" she growled, her hair sticking to her face, sopping wet.

Lime was in a similar condition, grasping onto the side of the fleshy bank as she struggled to keep afloat. Her nose was wrinkled in distaste as her turquoise eyes surveyed her surroundings, "This is _so_ disgusting…hey, whose cooking meat?"

Gohan frowned, as he too depicted the unmistakable odour. He sniffed at the air in an attempt to find out where the smell was coming from, when Videl let out a startled cry.

"It's us! We're being digested!"

The young saiyan squeaked, as he noticed that all three of them had started to smoke, stomach acid already starting to take an effect. Thinking quickly, he launched himself out of the water and grabbed the two girls in the process.

He swore under his breath, as the grumbling started to get louder, and the stomach muscles started to close in on them.

"I don't know how to put it lightly to you Gohan, but if we don't get out now we're going to be headed straight for the southern exit!" Lime cried, the walls drawing near.

Gritting his teeth, the teenager tossed the frightened red head over his shoulder, and, grasping Videl by the waist with one arm he used his free palm to shoot a golden blast straight through the monster's stomach. The hole he had created burned and fizzled, creating a perfect escape route that the young saiyan wasted no time in hurtling them through.

"Phew, that was close," Gohan sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow as he lowered the girls gently to the ground.

"You prat!" Videl cried, smacking him on the chest, "We're supposed to be being discreet! I hope Buu didn't notice that you blasted a hole straight through his stomach!"

The young saiyan growled back at her, "Well would you rather that than being sucked straight through Buu's -"

"Oi you two!" Lime shouted suddenly from a ways off, "What do you suppose these things are?"

Gohan frowned as he and Videl approached her. They were inside yet another fleshy cavern, which reminded the teen of dead tissue. The walls around them were grey and bubbled, what looked like nerve endings stretched like cobwebs around them.

Lime was crouched down, droplets from her wet hair dropping onto the flesh below her feet, where hundreds of green blobs stretched out in front of her. They quivered slightly, making soft slimy noises as they slithered across the ground, inching their way towards the trio.

The young saiyan bent down next to her to get a closer look, when suddenly, one of the green droplets jumped towards him. Gohan yelped, as the blob attached to his shoulder, instantly burning a hole in his bodice. He batted it away quickly, stomping on the little critter with his boot and squishing it to mush.

Videl snorted, "Oooh looks like they nearly defeated the great Gold Fighter."

"Shut up," he pouted.

"Aw, I think they're cute," Lime giggled, before a group of them jumped towards her, "AHH!"

"Lime!" Gohan and Videl cried, scrambling forwards to grab the sizzling blobs off her.

"Yikes!" the red head yelped, "Buu's more destructive on the inside than he is on the outside!"

"We should get away from here," said Gohan, kicking another group away, "I think Buu's immune system is attacking us."

Escaping the killer cells was an easy feat, as the teen's moved too quickly for the little blobs to catch up to them. Though Gohan knew that they would have to find Gokuto soon, or else Buu's body would be sure to find a way of getting rid of the invaders.

He could hear the steady pump of blood through Buu's arteries as they walked, climbing higher and higher into the intestines. Videl and Lime were still complaining about the stench, but Gohan had quickly become accustomed to it, his senses more focused on finding Gokuto.

Another rumble suddenly shook the area they were in, causing the girl's to cry out in protest. The young saiyan steadied himself on the fleshy wall, shushing them as he thought he caught sight of something moving the darkness in front of them.

He stood still, waiting, his heart pounding in his ears.

 **SLAM**

Gohan was caught completely off guard, as something swiped his feet from underneath him. He yelped, his backside hitting the ground with an audible thud. But the teenager didn't have time to contemplate just what the hell had attacked him, when Lime's scream reached his ears.

He whirled around quickly, his onyx eyes widening in horror, as what could only be described as an enormous worm towered over the red head. Disgusting was an understatement, as the slimy beast bore sharp white teeth at the girl, drool dripping down his opening jaw as he slithered towards her.

"HI YA!"

Gohan gaped, as Videl's sharp cry echoed around them, driving her foot into the parasites skull. The worm whimpered, it's long white body contorting in pain as it dropped to the floor, dazed.

"Alright Videl!" Lime cheered, "Nice kick!"

"Thanks," the Satan girl grinned back, dusting off her palms.

But the trio didn't get a chance to celebrate their victory, as yet another rumble shook the walls around them. They yelped, as another worm, just as large and vicious as the last slithered towards them.

It growled menacingly, as Gohan quickly stood up and guarded the girls, waiting to attack.

"You hurt my big brother!" the worm cried suddenly, causing the teen's to nearly fall over.

"Oh no, oh no! What have they done to you?!" the beast sobbed, consoling his kin before turning his head back towards the dark tunnel he had crept out from, "Daddy! Big brother is hurt!"

"D-daddy?" Videl paled.

"Woah, if they're that big, just imagine what their dad's like!"

"Not helping Lime!" Gohan growled, as none other than the biggest worm he had ever seen crawled out of the darkness.

He had to be around five times the size of the other worms, with enormous pointed teeth and a white body that curled around him. He slathered maliciously at the teenagers, growling with vicious intent.

"Holy Namekian's knickers!" Lime gasped, "Look at the size of him!"

"I-I think I'm going to be sick," gagged Videl.

"Daddy! Look at what they did to him!" the young worm cried, as his brother regained consciousness, "It was that one there! She did it! Get them Dad!"

Videl squeaked, as the worm inclined his head towards her.

"Fancy giving that one a kick as well Videl?" Lime scoffed in annoyance.

"Oh shut up!" she seethed.

Gohan sighed angrily, there was no way he had gone through all this trouble just to get eaten by a disgusting worm! Without warning, the young saiyan gathered a hot ball of Ki in his palms and fired it towards the biggest parasite.

"Take this!" he yelled, the golden glow lighting up Buu's fleshy insides.

The daddy worm growled, opening his mouth and gulping down the blast - whole.

Gohan sweated nervously, "Oh shit."

"See dad! They're mean!" Protested the children.

"Yeah beat them up daddy!"

The teen's took a cautious step back, as the large beast leered at them. He snorted through his nostrils angrily, teeth bared, before he span about him and thwacked the two youngsters upside the head with one of his legs.

"Ow!" the smaller worms chorused, "what was that for?!"

Gohan blinked in shock, as the father worm scolded them.

"You little buggers!" he roared menacingly, his deep voice reverberating throughout the intestines, "No one likes snitches!"

"B-but dad they hurt us!"

"That one could have destroyed you!" he continued to shout, pointing a leg at the young saiyan, "How many times have I told you? Never leave the pack!"

"D-did he say pack?" Videl gulped from beside him, she looked as though she was about to keel over.

Then, to Gohan's surprise, the young worms started to cry.

"We're sorry dad!" They bawled, sobbing onto each other.

The father worm nodded in satisfaction, before slithering right up to the aghast teen's, "Please forgive my sons, they're young."

"O-oh, er," the halfling spluttered, "No problem, I have a son too so I know what it's like, kids eh?"

The parasite grinned sheepishly, "They seem to have a bad habit of eating anything that moves, but no matter how many times I've told them how dangerous it is, it seems to go in one ear and out the other!"

"Yeah, well you should try to teach those little gits some manners!" Videl snapped, though Gohan ignored her outburst.

"Tell me about it," sighed the young saiyan, before gesturing to Lime, "We're actually looking for our son, he's here somewhere, you wouldn't happened to have seen him would you?"

"Hmm," the large worm pondered, "What does he look like?"

"Little guy, got a tail, lots of freckles, green eyes…" Lime reeled off, looking towards him expectantly.

"Oh! Oh! I've seen him!" one of the young worms interjected helpfully.

"Yeah!" the other chimed, "He's hanging around upstairs!"

"Upstairs?" Gohan asked curiously.

The worm nodded, pointing above them, "Yeah, that big empty space up there!"

The teenager's looked up. They seemed to be at the top of the intestine, with nothing but a dark abyss hanging above them. It was pitch black, so dark in fact that Gohan couldn't even see what lay above. He certainly couldn't sense anything, which made it all the more eerie.

"Well, that looks inviting…" Lime offered.

"Be quiet Lime," Videl whispered harshly.

"Thanks for your help," said Gohan, flashing the worms a smile.

"No problem at all young man," father worm grinned, "and good luck with your son."

"Aw cheers mate, good luck with yours!"

Videl rolled her eyes at the exchange, "Great, now he's making friends with worms."

"Hey, before me his best friends were a dragon and a big green alien," Lime informed her, "Tell's you a lot really."

"Are you two ready?" Gohan asked the girls with mild annoyance.

"Ready for what-? EEEK!"

They shrieked, as the young saiyan grasped them both by the hand and fired them upwards into the dark void, leaving the awful smell and cheerful worms behind them.

 **xxxx**

Goku panted, as his sharp green eyes surveyed the broken rocks where Buu had just landed - curtesy of his fist. The plan was to catch the morphed Majin off guard as soon as he appeared on the Grand Kai's planet, but after that, the full bloodied saiyan had no real strategy to follow.

Son Goku had never been one to back down from a fight, even if engaging in battle with the enemy did seem hopeless. He reasoned it was his saiyan heritage that attributed to that particular trait, Vegeta had it too, although the hot headed prince was more likely to over-estimate his power more than he was, only to have it backfire in the most undignified of ways.

They hadn't fought an enemy this great since Cell, and he had to admit it got his blood pumping in excitement. It had been so long since he had fought side by side with his old friends, too long even, he had missed them all so much.

Though the thrill of the comradery had soon wore thin, as he had felt the terrifying power boost of this new Majin Buu. Goku couldn't understand how his little grandson had caused such an increase in the monster's energy, though he was _Gohan's_ son, and he fondly remembered the pride he felt when the young boy surpassed them all when he was just eleven years old. He could only hope to look forward to Gokuto growing up and seeing his power swell - that is, if Gohan and the other's managed to get him out of Buu before the monster blew them all to smithereens.

His long golden hair blew in the sudden breeze that picked up around the awaiting Z-Fighter's. Chi-Chi and the other's had run for cover long before Buu arrived, and now it was just them, along with a few brave warriors of the dead against the wicked Majin, stood on the desolate planes of the once beautiful planet.

A loud cackle reached his ears, as the debris made from the impact of Buu's body started to quiver. The Z-Fighter's shielded their eyes with their arms, as a vibrant light erupted from the rock, sending dirt and rocks flying into the air, and making a clear pathway for the monster.

Goku's eyes widened, he hadn't managed to get a good look at the brute before he had wailed him into a cliff face. Even though Majin Buu had a more humanoid appearance, Goku couldn't help but think it made him all the more terrifying. He looked almost like what he would imagine an adolescent Gokuto to be, where it not for the pink gelatinous skin and sharp pointed teeth. The wicked glint in his emerald eyes struck a nerve with the saiyan, sending shivers down his spine and to the tip of the bone where his tail used to be.

His energy was breathtaking, utterly jaw dropping. A power like that would have sent adrenaline rushing through his veins were it not for the entire universe being at stake. Goku frowned in the realisation that his hit hadn't left a mark on the beast, and he was a super saiyan three.

This was going to be a lot harder than he thought.

"Lucky shot," Majin Buu observed, his tail whipping around behind him, "But I'm afraid your luck has ran out."

"Nice going Kakarot," Vegeta spat from beside him, bolts of electricity licking at his frame, "Got any other bright ideas?"

Goku opened his mouth to retort, when Piccolo cut across him.

"There's no point in arguing, we've just got to keep him at bay until Gohan gets Gokuto," he growled, pressing his fingertips to his forehead without warning, "Special beam cannon!"

He detected a spark in the Namekian's Ki, before a swirling torrent of purple and gold energy erupted from his fingertips and hurtled itself towards the ancient monster. But, to Goku's amazement, Buu made no effort to move until the last critical second.

The beast raised his palm towards the blast, where it screeched to a halt in front of his eyes. Buu smirked, as the blast swirled with colour and energy, illuminating the planes with an eerie glow.

"Tut tut _Mister Piccolo,_ " Buu taunted, "And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

The tall Namekian's eyes widened, as the cannon blast hurtled back towards him, powered by a short burst of Ki from Buu. Goku reacted on instinct, using his instant transmission technique to appear next to Piccolo's side and disappear out of harms way.

The attack hurtled through the air, until it exploded, crashing into one of the marble pillars of the sacred training grounds and sending it topping towards the non-fighter's hiding place. Luckily, Olibu and Yamcha took hold of the towers weight, placing it gently on the ground before it had chance to crush the spectators.

Goku breathed a sigh of relief, that is, until Majin Buu started to roar with laughter once more.

"Fools!" he barked, "Why do you even bother trying to save them? They will suffer the same fate as all of you weaklings!"

"Insolent cretin," Vegeta growled, his aura sparking as his Ki spiked, "How dare you mock us!"

"Vegeta wait!" Krillin cried.

Though the prince did not listen, as he fired himself headlong towards the destructive God, aiming a deadly spinning kick at the monster's skull. In a blink of an eye, Buu blocked the oncoming kick with ease, and delivered a sucker punch to the saiyan's gut which caused his eyes to boggle, his transformation leaving him altogether as he was tossed to the ground.

"D-did he just knock the super saiyan out of him?" Yamcha squeaked.

"Let's go!" Tien roared, kicking off from the ground and firing a well aimed blast towards the wicked monster.

Eighteen followed suit, her palms outstretched as she unleashed rapid fire upon Buu. Dust and smoke erupted from the ground beneath the Majin's feet, the impact from the blasts causing cracks to form in the earth.

Goku took his chance and locked onto Buu's Ki. In an instant, he was behind the brute, and delivered a sharp elbow strike to the back of his neck. Buu toppled forwards, but the strong saiyan male grabbed him by his tail causing him to shriek in pain.

Goku couldn't help but grin at his genius, Gokuto was far too young to have gained strength in his tail for it not to be excruciating if someone grabbed it, and it seemed as though Buu had inherited this trait from the little boy. Goku remembered the pain well, and almost felt a little bad for the monster until he was hit forcibly in the sternum by one of Buu's knees.

He gasped, releasing the appendage instantly as he jolted backwards. Buu had twisted his entire body around, his waist resembling a corkscrew as he seethed at the saiyan. His tail wrapped around his waist protectively as Tien and Eighteen's blasts beat relentlessly against his back. Though the monster was unfazed, his emerald eyes fixed on Goku with murderous intent.

"DESTRUCTO DISK!" came Krillin's unmistakable roar, along with the electric buzz of the razor sharp disk as it hurtled towards Buu.

"Nice shot!" Yamcha applauded, as the spinning heat connected with the beast's torso, cutting his body in two.

Though victory was short lived, as Buu began to giggle as childishly as a toddler and moulded his top and bottom half back together.

"Shit!" Krillin cried, as a golden aura ignited around Buu's frame, causing a sudden force to knock Eighteen and Tien out of the air where they toppled straight into Krillin and Yamcha.

"Damn it Krillin!" Piccolo yelled at the fallen fighter, "You'd best hope Gohan wasn't in the area you just sliced!"

"Whoops," the shorter man winced, "Sorry, just got carried away!"

"We'll have to be more careful," mustered Tien, picking himself up from the ground, "We can't risk injuring Buu too much."

"And that's supposed to help us _how_?!" Yamcha flapped, causing Eighteen to roll her eyes.

"We'll just have to lay off on the power, but do enough to distract him until Gohan gets back," she sighed.

"Fantastic," Krillin whined, "And with Vegeta out of the picture that's easier said than done, damn hot head."

"Well come on, what are we waiting for?" Goku chimed, blasting himself towards the awaiting Majin.

"Says the super saiyan three," Yamcha scoffed, before kicking off from the ground and following suit.

In all credit to Krillin, he had been correct when he said that distracting the fusion of a God of Destruction and a saiyan hybrid was easier said than done. The battle - if one could call it a battle - was more like a free for all brawl. As soon as one Z-Fighter was backhanded across the planes, then another would be upon Buu in an instant, but all it seemed to do was anger the beast even further.

He was like a fly swatter and they were the annoying pesky flies, buzzing and swooping around him and firing hits where they could. Goku was having much better luck than the other's as a super saiyan three, although he was more often than not serving as a shield for the others.

It was becoming utterly exhausting, and the only warrior not suffering as much seemed to be Eighteen due to her enhanced stamina and unlimited energy. However, the android was severely bruised and blooded, though she tried not to let it effect her as she fired another white hot blast towards the monster's face.

Distracted by the other's, the ball of energy hit Buu right between the eyes. Although unharmed, the Majin screamed with fury, blasting the Z-Fighter's away from him with an explosive wave of Ki. Goku skidded to a halt in mid air, as Buu continued to let out his frustration. Green eyes found the form of Vegeta on the ground, where he was being healed by Dende - damn it, Buu must have hit him really hard, they needed him up here!

"Masenko-HAAAAAA!" Piccolo roared from behind.

The shining beacon of light screamed towards Majin Buu, yet it was intercepted as quickly as it came. A jump in the monster's Ki told the saiyan that he had caused it to explode in mid air before it even reached him. But Goku didn't have time to contemplate just how he had done it, when the beast's shrieks filled the air and he was met with a fierce fist to the cheek.

Goku winced in pain, as his cheek bone shattered, a sonic boom ricocheting over the valleys from the impact. He was knocked flying to the ground, causing dirt and rocks to fly high into the air from how hard he had hit the grass.

He coughed, spitting out the blood and saliva that had built up in his mouth as he looked above him. Buu was on an absolute rampage, reaching Piccolo almost instantly and causing another boom to shake the area. Goku made out the rapidly falling form of his friend before he hit the ground in the same manner as he.

Warriors from the Grand Kai's planet shot up to face Buu, encircling the beast in order to slow him down. Yet their efforts were in vain, as the monster quickly dispersed them with a gust of Ki, causing them to spring away from him and careen across the skies.

One by one, the Z-Fighter's tumbled to the ground, the impact of Buu's hits rendering them useless or unconscious.

"NO!" Goku cried, as a white hot beam shot out of Buu's palm and careened straight towards the fallen warriors.

The full bloodied saiyan sprang up, and he quickly knocked the Majin to the ground to try and swerve the blast, yet it was too late. A sonic boom rocked the planet as the purple energy collided with the fallen forms of his comrades, though thankfully they were still alive, albeit it critical condition - it only reaffirmed that Gokuto's purity was having an effect on Buu's conscience.

"You'll pay for that!" Goku yelled, his stance strong as a golden glow erupted around him.

His eyes flickered over to Krillin and the others. He needed to distract Buu long enough so that Dende and Kibito could heal them.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Buu snickered from his crater, as Piccolo came to land beside him, his gi torn and his lip bloody, glaring at the florescent being. "Whether or not your friends are healed, it will be futile. They will die soon enough."

Goku's eyes widened, "H-how did-?"

"Come now, surely it isn't that difficult to figure out," the Majin grinned wickedly, "There are a lot of gifts this boy had given me, including his memories. Ah yes, skills untapped, power yet unleashed. Very interesting what lurks within the depths of such a young boy… but you would know all about that, now wouldn't you _grandfather_?"

"Amazing what one can depict through an eyes of a child," Buu continued, almost gleefully, "Ah yes, Gokuto's short memories on this Earth has revealed a lot of things about you, Son Goku."

The saiyan gritted his teeth, his fists clenching. A rare nervous feeling erupted within the pit of his stomach. Just what was Buu getting at?

"Don't look so confused," the monster laughed darkly, "Even the little runt can fathom what kind of a father you are. He has spent the dark nights listening to his own father scream in his sleep, calling out for you amongst his nightmares. Gokuto wonders why you're not there for his daddy, he wonders why you left…"

Goku's blood ran cold as the silence hung in the air.

"Don't listen to him Goku," came Piccolo's angered tone, "He's just trying to get a rise out of you."

That may be the case, Goku thought, but how would Majin Buu know that he had left his family? Chi-Chi hadn't informed him of any nightmares Gohan had after he had left, but he would be stupid to think that the teenager had slept peacefully every night since the Cell Games. He bitterly remembered the impact the whole Namek trip had on the boy's sleep when he returned from Yardrat, and even more so when they were preparing for the androids and Cell.

Gohan had always been a sensitive child, and it wasn't unusual for him to sleep with him and Chi-Chi after he had a nightmare. Of course, his nightmares had become more vivid and frequent as he faced battle after battle. Though he stopped bothering them in the middle of the night after he returned from Namek, Goku would always feel his Ki spike as he lay in bed. He would check on the boy, though Gohan would always pretend to be asleep when he poked his head around his bedroom door.

Why his son felt the need to do such a thing was beyond him then, but now Goku knew that Gohan had grown up way too fast. It was too much for the shoulders of a young boy, no matter how powerful he was. And what Buu was saying…

It had to be true. And even after seven years? Goku didn't know how his son would ever be able to look at him in the same way ever again.

"I see I've touched a nerve," Buu chuckled devilishly at the haunted look on his face, "The truth hurts doesn't it? Don't worry, you'll be put out of your misery soon."

"You're right about one thing," Piccolo spat, "You have inherited part of a saiyan. That's all they ever do, chatter incessantly about their power and strength until they make my ears bleed, but never actually measure up."

Beside him, Goku pouted.

"So are you going to fight or just dawdle?" the Namek continued, "Maybe you should have absorbed a Namekian, you would have gotten the job done a lot quicker."

"Cocky," Buu observed, "But I don't need a Namekian to enhance my power. What could a son of Namek offer Majin Buu? Healing powers and weak battle strength? Pathetic. I'll show you pests just why I chose the little runt."

A sudden roar escaped the monster's throat, as his golden aura exploded around him, growing darker and darker with each passing second. The skies darkened above, lightening bolts met the ground as thunder rolled across the clouds. Buu's body shook violently, and Goku thought he was having some sort of fit when ebony his hair suddenly spiked upwards, turning a brilliant gold in colour. His aura darkened to black, bolts of fuchsia electricity struck his body. A large crater formed at his feet, causing Goku and Piccolo to retreat to the air.

He heard Piccolo gasp beside him, as to their horror, the monster's dark Ki increased to even greater heights. It was mind boggling, and made Goku instantly feel sick. Buu growled, before he began to roar with laughter, pure power rippling over the planes of the Grand Kai's planet.

Then, slowly, the wicked Majin opened his eyes. The emerald iris' had disappeared altogether, revealing nothing but white eyeballs. His muscles bulged and veins protruded and pulsated around his biceps, ripping the jacket he had acquired from Gokuto clean off his body.

Steadily, the light subsided, the black aura filled with evil Ki caused the blonde hair of Buu to shine in an off yellow colour. His sharp, pointed teeth gritted at them wickedly, brown tail thrashing wildly behind him. He was, without a doubt, a super saiyan.

"This is the end!" The Majin shrieked to the skies above, "This is the end for you all! BEHOLD YOUR NEW GOD! FOR IT IS THE LAST THING YOU WILL DO!"

 _Yikes! What is Majin Buu up to now?! :O Until the next time everyone! :) xxx_


	41. Rescue Gokuto

_Wow! Cannot believe I'm actually posting Chapter Forty! These next couple of chapters are pretty beefy and full of action. I really enjoyed writing them, so I really hope you enjoy reading them. Thank you all so much for your continued support. Reading your reviews and seeing the number of followers going up just makes me want to keep on writing and posting. So thank you. Enjoy! :) xx_

 **Chapter Forty**

 **Rescue Gokuto**

 **xxxx**

Goku couldn't believe what he was witnessing. Majin Buu had ascended. He had ascended to the legend passed down by his own saiyan ancestors for thousands of years. The power was unreal, Godly even. He could hear the distant cries of the spectators by the temple as the planet shook with raw evil energy.

The golden haired Buu grinned manically, tilting his head so that white eyes landed on the saiyan warrior, "What's the matter saiyan? Are you speechless? Don't tell me you haven't any last words!"

Goku gulped, how could he stop this from happening? Buu was going to kill them all! He was going to destroy everything! And Gohan and Gokuto were still inside that monster!

"G-Goku?" he heard Krillin whimper as he limped over, "Any ideas on how to beat this thing?"

Slowly, the saiyan shook his head in response, his jaw tightly clenched. It was already taking the majority of his energy to maintain his super saiyan three state, he had never forced himself to hold it for so long. It was more powerful than super saiyan two yes, but the transformation was supposed to be used for quick and direct defeats - it was pushing his body to the limit.

A glint of light caught his eye from above. The spirit bomb, humming with the purest of energy. But if he fired it now would it even work on this form of Buu? Gohan and the others were still inside, and it was with a heavy heart did he remember that Babidi had managed to tap into the darkness that resided within the teenager's heart. Gohan wasn't pure anymore, and the blast would surely destroy them.

"Goku, no matter what we have to hold this thing off," came Piccolo's voice of reason, although he noticed the slight quake in his tone, "But don't get too close. Remember if Buu kills you, you won't exist."

The saiyan nodded in understanding, his obsidian stare still fixated on the evil being. He couldn't risk getting killed, his friends and family needed him now more than ever.

A strangled cry interrupted his thoughts, as the wicked Majin erupted into insane laughter. The dark hue of energy surrounding him grew in size, the dazzling light obscuring their vision. Deep cracks began to forge in the earth below, which was already partly decimated by Gohan and Buu's previous fight. Goku yelped, pushing his Ki downwards in order to propel himself above the red hot lava that escaped the planet's surface.

Panicking slightly, his eyes found Chi-Chi and the other non-fighters, who thankfully had been suspended in midair by a circular shield by the Kai's. They were safe, for now, though the planet was beginning to die, and from Goku's experience, it wouldn't be long until it exploded. They had to do something before it was too late!

With an almighty bellow, the saiyan warrior ignited is aura around him. It crackled and fizzled with sparking energy, before he propelled himself forwards towards the mentally deranged beast. It was obvious that Buu's new found power had gone to his head, but if he kept powering up like this then the planet would explode in seconds.

"Ka…meh…hah…me…HAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Goku roared, the bright blue energy erupting from his palms and firing towards the Majin.

His senses tingled, as the rest of the Z-Fighter's and the Grand Kai's warriors joined him in his attack. Beams of technicolour intermingled together, slamming into the ancient beast and causing him to cease in his power up.

The planet rocked from the amount of raw energy that fed into the blast, causing North Kai to almost have a heart attack.

"No Goku!" He cried, "It's too much! We'll all be killed!"

Though the spikey haired saiyan could not hear him over the roar of the high winds that he and the other's had created. Hot lava spilled forth from the cracks within the planets surface, causing temperatures to rise dramatically. They needed to keep Buu at bay, even if it was risky. But Goku steadily realised he was putting out too much power, and in an instant, dropped out of his transformation, his long golden locks returned to its usual short ebony.

"INSECTS!" Buu screamed, as Goku's blast became significantly weaker and the manic Majin was able to overcome the attack with an explosive wave.

The warriors yelped, as they were thrown backwards by the sudden force, and Goku was so exhausted that he allowed the rush of the wind to carry him lifelessly through the air, where he crashed straight into Yamcha.

"You alright mate?" the ex-bandit asked worriedly, his own body littered with cuts and bruises.

The saiyan nodded wordlessly as he panted, allowing his friend to throw his arm over his shoulder for support.

"Damn it," Yamcha spat viciously, "I was certain we had him there."

"MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Majin Buu cackled at the helpless group of fighters, "Fools! Your attacks are useless against me! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Aw man," Krillin sighed, "who brought him a one way ticket on the crazy train?"

"I don't know Krillin," said Tien, glaring at the demented beast, "But the most we've succeeded in doing is pissing him off."

"Damn it," a sharp voice came from behind them, Vegeta was back on his feet, "Where the hell is that brat? I swear, if he's gotten distracted again by those _blasted_ harpies I am going to-"

 **BOOM**

Vegeta was cut short, as Buu suddenly appeared before them, delivering a well aimed kick to the side of his head. He was caught off guard, and was send spiralling through the air before he managed to stop himself mid fall, blood pouring from his lip.

"Vegeta!" Goku gasped, "Are you okay?!"

The older saiyan rolled his eyes, spitting out a mouthful of blood, "Just fantastic Kakarot, now if you could concern yourself more with the rampaging beast in front of you instead of my wellbeing, that would be even better."

Majin Buu was berserk, his golden aura shooting across the sky as he fired himself towards the Z-Fighter's. It infuriated Goku to no end, Buu knew that he could just end them all instantly, but like a true blood thirsty saiyan, he was enjoying beating the living snot out of them before he made his final move.

The other's screamed and dodged out of the frenzied beasts murderous path as the darkening clouds began to circle above them, creating whirring tornados that sprang up across the planet, causing even more destruction. Goku couldn't even see the spirit bomb above the darkened hue of the clouds, that cast eerie shadows over the planet. They were injured, severely so, and it was only a matter of time before it would all be over.

Buu's shrieks reached his ears through the darkness, and with a sudden sonic boom that caused his bones to shudder, did the saiyan realise that he had been struck by the beast. Agony erupted in his torso as he began to plunge towards the ground, a brilliant violet light obscuring his vision as a blast came hurtling towards him.

He scrunched up his eyelids, preparing himself for the impact - but it didn't come.

The Supreme Kai suddenly appeared before him, grasping him by the collar before he hit the lava below and conjuring a shield between them and the attack, sending it careening off into the distance.

"Goku, are you alright?!" The deity asked worriedly, lowering them gently to the ground next to the other Z-Fighters.

Majin Buu had quickly become distracted, his crackling aura firing across the skies in order to engage in combat with the deceased warriors.

Goku nodded his head numbly, as Krillin roughly shoved a senzu bean into his mouth.

"That was the last one," Krillin told him as he swallowed, "It's too risky for Dende and Kibito to come back out of the shield, we're going to have to be careful."

The saiyan sighed at his best friends words, feeling his body restore to full power, "I just can't believe how strong he's become. I don't know how to say this everyone, but I honestly don't know how we're going to beat him."

Beside him, Vegeta growled in anger, "Where's your saiyan pride Kakarot?! It may be hopeless but you still have your honour. What would your son and grandson say if they saw you wallowing like this? We have to give this ingrate everything we've got!"

"I'm afraid Goku may be right Vegeta," The Supreme Kai said solemnly, "At Buu's current level of power, he is by far the strongest being in the entire universe. Even if we made an attempt to seal him up again, the probability of him breaking out of his prison of his own accord is very high."

"Then what do you suggest we do Supreme Kai?" asked Piccolo, his weighted cape and turban long discarded and his gi bloodied and torn, "We can't keep going on like this until we keel over. Even if Gohan does manage to get Gokuto out, he'll have no universe to come back to."

The Kai sighed hopelessly, opening his mouth to retort when an angered cry sounded from above them, accompanied by the familiar shrieks of the destructive Majin.

"OI MAJIN BUU!"

It was Gotenks, hurtling across the sky towards Buu. The monster ceased in his attack on the Grand Kai's warriors, only to dodge the vibrant blast aimed at his head by inches. The fused warrior gritted his teeth, a furious look upon his strong features as Buu inclined his head curiously towards him.

"Yeah I'm talking to you ugly!" he seethed before a rather confident smirk inched its way over his lips, "I see you've got a new transformation, shame it didn't make your face any better to look at."

The Majin growled, sparks emitting from his aura as his temper began to rise.

"Gotenks what are you doing?!" Goku yelled, but the boy didn't listen.

"Hey don't get so mad," said Gotenks, unfazed by the fact that Buu's Ki had begun to spike, "I know exactly what you need to help you unwind. You need a real challenge, and Gotenks is gonna be the one to give it to you."

"Why that insolent little-!" Vegeta spat from beside Goku, but the rest of his sentence was drowned out by the almighty bellow that suddenly escaped the fused boy's chest.

"And guess what?!" Gotenks growled, his Ki spiking rapidly and causing raging winds to erupt around them, "Whilst you've been busy wasting your time trying to beat on my friends, I've mastered a new technique!"

"What the hell is he talking about?" Piccolo growled, "Is he trying to distract him?"

Though the Namekian was silenced, as the young boy's aura crackled and snapped at the air. He transformed easily into a super saiyan, his power reaching enormous heights as his hair turned golden and his eyes a vibrant shade of green. But it didn't stop there, Gotenks' hair started to grow, spreading to his ankles in the same spikey mass as Goku. His eyebrows disappeared and his facial features grew sharper and more defined.

Gotenks smirked, ceasing in his power up and relishing in the flabbergasted reaction of the Z-Fighter's, "Oh yeah Buu! Let's see how you like fighting a _real_ super saiyan three!"

Goku blinked, as the young boy fired himself towards the awaiting Majin. The ground shuddered beneath their feet, as Vegeta uttered a frustrated cry about 'stupid, father surpassing hybrid brats'.

"This is what you get for messing with my friends!" Gotenks bellowed, striking Buu hard across the jaw and causing a sonic boom to echo over the planet.

The destruction God was either too shocked to move or not bothered in the slightest about the young saiyan's attacks, as the fused warrior back handed him across the sky with malicious intent and Buu made no effort to move.

"This is for Earth!" he yelled again, reappearing behind the monster and driving his elbow into the back of his neck.

"This is for Gokuto!"

 **BOOM**

Buu was thrown into the air by a fierce kick, before Gotenks cupped his hands to the sides gathering a ball of golden energy beneath his finger tips, "And this one's just for you ugly, MASENKO GUN!"

The combined attacked erupted from his palms, careening towards Buu and exploding in a shower of light. The blast was enormous by all accounts, but to Gotenks' and the other's horror, it didn't even leave a mark on the Godly being.

These kids, Goten and Trunks, Gohan and Gokuto too, were the future. The saiyan halfling's were far beyond anything that he and Vegeta were when they were that age. It was an amazing sight to behold, and Goku wouldn't put it past Vegeta's little girl to have the same potential. But there was no time to congratulate the fused boy, as Buu's laughter reached their ears.

It was useless, he mused hopelessly as the smoke cleared, even a _fused_ super saiyan three was no match! But then again, Goten and Trunks were just young boys, inexperienced in battle and not up to the same level as he and Vegeta. If only there was more time to show the boys how to use their power, if only they were as strong as he and Vege-.

Lightbulb.

"Vegeta?" Goku asked suddenly, causing the man in question to turn towards him.

"What is it Kakarot?" he frowned, catching on to the giddy look upon his features.

The younger saiyan grinned, "I think I know a way of holding Buu off."

Vegeta eyed him, following his gaze up towards Gotenks and back towards him, "No."

Goku's jaw dropped, "B-but I haven't even said what it is yet!"

"You don't have to!" The prince spat, gaining the attention of the other Z-Fighter's, "There is no way in HFIL I'm doing that ridiculous dance!"

"But Vegeta," Goku reasoned, "It's to save the universe!"

"And I'd rather die than have to share a body with _you_!"

"Well that's not very nice…" he pouted.

"Why don't you ask the Namek?" Vegeta growled.

"But he's not nearly as strong as-!" Goku cut himself short, as Piccolo shot him a murderous glare, "I mean uh, well, were both saiyan's aren't we? It'll work better!"

"Tch."

"Come on Vegeta," he pressed desperately, his tone becoming serious, "We have to do something! If not, our son's will be killed! Not to mention Bulma and Chi-Chi, and all of our friends!"

The saiyan prince glared at him, yet something changed within his obsidian eyes, "Fine, I'll fuse with you, but you'll have to teach me first."

"W-what? But there's no time!" Goku spluttered, "Weren't you watching me and Piccolo practice before?"

"I was too busy laughing at your pathetic display to take notice of those idiotic moves," he shot back, "Damn it Kakarot, have you no pride? We are WARRIORS not ballet dancers!"

"Wait," interrupted The Supreme Kai, smiling slightly at them, "I think I have a way for you to fuse without using the fusion dance."

"What, really?" Goku gaped.

The Kai nodded, surprising them by taking off his bauble like earrings and placing one in each of the saiyan's palms. "These are potara earrings, better known as a weapon of the Gods."

"Weapon?" Vegeta growled, "You expect me to believe that a pair of earrings will actually help us destroy this monster?"

Shin smiled knowingly, "I can't believe I hadn't thought of it before! Although I am sure there are rules against using the potara earrings on mortals, but I say we've gone too far now to worry about such things! You see, if both are worn by just one person, they are quite ordinary earrings. However, when two individuals wear one on opposite ears, their true properties awaken and they have the ability of fusing them into one single powerful entity."

"Woah, all that from just one tiny earring!" Goku exclaimed, "Cool huh Vegeta?"

"Idiot, stop wasting time!" Vegeta snapped, before turning to the Kai, "And just how long can I be expected to be fused with his buffoon?"

"Hey!"

"One hour," said The Supreme Kai, "Although I recommend you fuse in your base forms, the sudden power increase from your super saiyan transformations may cause your time to cut short."

"An hour should be plenty of time," Piccolo nodded thoughtfully, "Do you think you will be able to hold him off?"

"Well it wouldn't hurt to try!" Goku grinned, looking over at his agitated, spikey haired friend, "Aw come on Vegeta, it's only for an hour!"

The prince sighed, clasping the earring to his right ear, " _One hour_. And we will not speak of this again."

Goku chuckled, putting on his own earring on his left ear, "Thank you Vegeta, you've really changed over the last seven years, you know."

"Hn."

The Z-Fighter's had to shield their eyes as a bright white light encompassed the desolated terrain. Power surged around them as Goku and Vegeta's bodies flew towards each other, connecting at the sternum until the light became so bright that the other's couldn't see what was happening.

The commotion below caught the attention of Majin Buu, who was engaged mid battle with Gotenks. The wicked beast turned towards the ground, ignoring the frustrated shouts of the young boy as he pulled himself away from their fight.

Gradually, the light dimmed, and where Goku and Vegeta had previously stood, a single being had taken their place. He was around Goku's height, and wore the same style gi as the deceased warrior with the colours reversed. The man had rippling muscles and enormous energy, Vegeta's white boots and gloves adorned his extremities. His hair was black and peaked upwards like Vegeta, yet two messy bangs wavered over his dark obsidian eyes in defiance.

The Z-Fighter's were frozen to the spot, even more shocked at the fusion than they were with Gotenks. They just hoped this new one wasn't a cocky little -

"Er Goku? Vegeta?" Krillin mustered meekly, "I-Is that you?"

The man smirked, all too reminiscent of the prince of saiyans. His dark eyes twinkled just as Goku's did when he was excited as he opened his mouth, the voices of both saiyan's reverberating through his vocal cords, "I am neither Goku nor Vegeta, I am Vegito!"

"Vegito huh?" Yamcha quirked, slightly awestruck as the fused saiyan suddenly kicked off from the ground and hurtled towards Buu at breakneck speed. "I really hope this works."

"Me too Yamcha," said Tien, looking towards the sky, "Me too."

 **xxxx**

"So this is what it looks like inside Majin Buu's head," Videl pondered as they squinted through the dark tunnels of the monster's mind.

"Figures it would be empty," Gohan said bitterly, walking briskly ahead of the two girls, "Kind of gives an explanation to all that mindless destruction."

"Way to bring down the tone blondie," chirped Lime, looking around, "He does seem to have a lot of cobwebs up here though, he really is ancient."

"Gokuto has got to be around here somewhere," the young saiyan muttered aloud, annoyed that he still couldn't sense the toddler.

The mind of a monster was a strange and eerie place, with dark tunnels veering off in every direction. The teenager's tried to stick to what looked like the main path so that they wouldn't get lost, but Gohan didn't have any clue as to where they were going. The fleshy walls were the same greyish colour as the bowels, which said a lot about the wicked Majin in his opinion. Although the horrendous smell had gone, the floors were as slimy as ever, and Gohan had lost count of the times where a less agile Lime had fallen over - she didn't have any martial arts training like he and Videl.

The young saiyan squinted through the darkness, when suddenly, he spotted a dim light up ahead.

"What's that?" he muttered, picking up his pace.

"I hope it's not another worm," Videl groaned as they rounded a corner.

Gohan began to raise his Ki a little should something attack them, when he stopped suddenly, causing the two girls to crash into his solid back.

"Ow Gohan! What the hell?" the Satan girl hissed, but the teenager ignored her.

His breath caught in his throat, relief flooding his chest as he stared in front of him, the light illuminating the pathway as a small figure stepped out from the shadows.

"'Kuto!" Lime cried, beaming from ear to ear and kneeling down, "Come here sweetie! Come to Mummy!"

Gohan frowned, as the toddler made no effort to move. Gokuto stood stoic, his features devoid of any emotion as he stared at the girl. The light he had seen seemed to be emitting from the child like some strange blueish aura. Something didn't feel right.

"Gokuto?" his best friend tried again, confused when the little boy did not run to them immediately.

"Lime look out!" Gohan roared, catching the menacing glint within Gokuto's haunted emerald eyes, before a beam of purple energy erupted from his palm and careened towards her.

The young saiyan instinctively shoved the two girls out of the way, landing heavily on top of them as the hot blast shot right past their heads and exploded.

"Gokuto!" Videl scolded, dusting herself off as they clambered to their feet, "What did you do that for?!"

"It's not Gokuto," Gohan stated darkly, eyeing the two year old who was giving them all an uncharacteristic smirk.

"What do you mean?" asked Lime, "It looks like him."

He racked his brains, trying to think of some sort of logical explanation for the imposter in front of them.

"I think it's got something to do with the fact that we're in Buu's mind," he reasoned, "You heard how he was talking earlier, everything he was thinking and feeling was all about Gokuto."

"Are you saying that this Gokuto is a _thought_?" Videl gaped.

"Something like that," Gohan shrugged, "I can't sense anything from him."

"I think you're right," said Lime fearfully, "Look at him Gohan, he looks so creepy! What are we going to do?"

The teenager gulped down his nervousness, his tail swishing around behind him, "I'm going to have to fight him."

Videl's eyes widened, "Are you _serious_?!"

"Completely," he replied boldly, although his heart was lurching uncomfortably at the thought of fighting his own son, "The way he's looking at us he's not going to let us get past without a fight, and Gokuto might be in that direction, we haven't looked there yet."

"Oh no, I can't watch!" Lime whimpered, burying her face into Videl's shoulder as the fake Gokuto suddenly fired himself towards the awaiting halfling.

Gohan dodged the child with ease, but the copy used his feet to bounce off the fleshy walls behind and propel himself backwards, using the momentum to deliver a roundhouse kick to the teenager's jaw. Gohan was startled for a second, the little tike was really strong!

Though, trying to block out the image of his son, he quickly recovered and struck the toddler in the stomach with a sharp and powerful knee. The fake coughed out a wad of blood and mucus, as Gohan followed up in his attack and connected his elbow with the boy's spine, sending him crumpling to the floor.

Pain briefly reflected in the child's eyes, causing Gohan's heart to ache. He forced down the overwhelming urge to run over and kiss him all over his chubby little cheeks to try and make his owie's go away. But all that went out of the window when the toddler got back to his feet, sending him a wicked grin which made a shiver run down to the tip of his tail.

Just like Spopovich, the boy would not stay down.

The teenager gritted his teeth, preparing himself as they engaged in battle once more. Each fist was met with an oncoming fist, sending tremors through the pathways of Buu's mind and causing Lime and Videl to sink to the floor and throw their arms over their heads for cover.

Ki blasts ignited in the air, sizzling and popping when they hit the walls of the cavern. Gohan would have thought it would have been over now, but trying to harm something that kept recovering from the brink of death was proving to be quite a difficult challenge. And the young saiyan was getting increasingly annoyed.

 **BANG**

With a hammer fist to the skull, the toddler was sent crashing to the floor in a heap. However, it didn't take long for the boy to recover, and soon he was back on his feet, glaring up at Gohan with empty eyes.

"Alright you little shit," Gohan growled, "Where is the real Gokuto?"

The fake said nothing.

"Question," Videl piped up suddenly, "If this Gokuto really is what you say he is, then how do you beat a thought?"

"Not appreciating your input Videl," the young saiyan shot back as the toddler lifted himself into the air in order to face him once more.

"I was just asking!"

"Well don't!" Gohan growled, averting his eyes away from the enemy for a spilt second in order to glare at her.

The teenager realised his mistake almost instantly. A sharp pain suddenly radiated through his skill as he was caught off guard by a crippling head butt - courtesy of his own son.

"Damn it kiddo, just how hard is your head?!" Gohan winced, tears forming at the corners of his eyes as he dropped several feet.

The younger hybrid smirked devilishly, before delivering a sucker punch to the teen's gut.

"Ow! You little bastard!" He yelped, booting the child across the face and sending him flying through the air.

Below him, he heard a snort.

"Did you just get beat up by a two year old?" Lime giggled, causing him to blush furiously.

"He's stronger than he looks!"

 **ZIIIIIIIIP**

"GOHAN!" the girl's cried, as an enormous purple blast came hurtling towards him out of no where.

The teenager yelped, as the hot sphere of energy prickled his skin. He growled, raising out his palms in order to deflect the blast, when he was suddenly pushed into the orb with a sharp kick to the bottom of his back.

Where the hell did that little bleeder come from?!

 **BOOM!**

The blast was so powerful that it seemed to rock the entirety of Majin Buu's skull. There was no way Buu wouldn't have felt that unless the Z-Fighter's were doing an extremely good job of keeping him distracted.

"Gohan! Gohan are you alright?!" Lime cried, as they both ran to the teen who was singed, smoking and sore, face planting the ground.

"Ow," he croaked, he was really starting to loathe this Majin magic.

Videl rolled him over, her sapphire eyes boring into his for a moment, panic in her eyes along with a spark of something that the teenager could not depict, before they were startled by an almighty scream.

"Gohan he's gonna blast us!" Lime cried, pointing a shaky finger towards the evil child who had appeared before them, his palm outstretched as he gathered another ball of concentrated Ki beneath his fingertips.

"Uh oh."

 **POP!**

"What the _hell_?!" Lime yelped, and quite rightly so.

Gohan blinked, and then blinked again, unsure of whether or not his eyes were deceiving him, or that he had just been blasted so hard that he was hallucinating. As suddenly, the evil copy of his only son was replaced by a giant steaming hotdog, one identical to the one's that Gokuto had been munching down all weekend.

"Is he a hotdog?" Videl cried, "Somebody pinch me so I know I'm not dreaming."

Lime readily obliged.

"Ow! Lime!"

"So er any ideas boy genius?" the red head quirked, looking up at him.

Gohan stared at the boy that was now a tasty snack in front of him. He didn't understand it, was this some sort of trick laid out by Buu? But they were in his mind weren't they? And if this copy of Gokuto stemmed from his thoughts then something must have…

The girls gave him a startled look, as the young saiyan started to roar with laughter.

"Um, Gohan?"

"Adda boy! Ha!" The halfling barked, tears stinging his eyes, "I can't believe that actually worked!"

"You know what's going on?" Videl asked sceptically.

Gohan grinned, "We're in Buu's thoughts remember? He's thinking about the strength and power that's coming from Gokuto's absorption. But like Babidi says, Gokuto is still in here somewhere, on Namek he had some of Gokuto's memories, he knew who me and Lime were right? So Gokuto's thoughts are having just as much of an affect on Buu than I think he realises!"

The Satan girl's eyes widened in disbelief, "So you're saying Gokuto is thinking about _food_?!"

"Well he is a saiyan after all!" Lime laughed, "Poor love, he must be starving."

"What does being a saiyan have to do with anything?" Videl asked haughtily.

"It's a long story," said Gohan, feeling slightly chipper, "But if all Gokuto is thinking about is food, then that's got to make it easier for everyone on the outside, I bet Buu can't think straight!"

"Well come on then," said Videl, leading the way, "Let's get out of here before he gets his thoughts back in order."

They followed the girl obediently, fighting their way through stringy cobwebs and dark tunnels until Videl suddenly called out to him.

"Hey you two, over here! I think I've found him!"

Gohan started forwards immediately, finding Videl starting wide eyed at a pink fleshy pod that was attached to the damp floor and dark ceiling. Veins protruded around the spherical matter, pulsating vigorously around the figure that was nestled deep inside.

Gokuto.

The little boy looked fast asleep - or at least he prayed to Kami that he was. His eyes were shut peacefully, his spikey fringe slightly matted and wet from the disgusting juices of Buu's insides. Gohan wasted no time in levitating himself upwards, pressing two fingers to the child's neck in desperation.

 _Thump thump._

The teenager let out a sigh of relief, the tension in his muscles subsiding slightly, "He's alive."

"Oh thank Kami!" Lime cried, as Videl wiped her brow free of nervous sweat, "My poor baby. Come on Gohan, what are you waiting for? Cut him down!"

Gohan bit his lip hesitantly, "Thing is, as soon as I get him free, Majin Buu might notice. The connection between them will be gone, we're going to have to move quickly."

The girls nodded in understanding, slightly fearful.

"Videl, do you think you can carry 'Kuto?" The young saiyan started, "He's going to be heavy in this thing."

Gohan breathed slowly, as the girls got into position. Lime was on his back, her legs and arms wrapped tightly around his waist and throat. He held Videl by her waist, using his free hand to raise his palm up and gather a ball of energy.

Well, it was now or never.

The teenager released two white hot beams, severing through Gokuto's restraints. Videl snatched the pod out of the air as he flew them quickly towards it, and the girl was using quite a bit of her strength to keep hold of it.

"You were right, this is really heavy! Just what do you feed this kid Gohan?!" She griped, her hair whipping about her face and one of her pigtails hitting him in the nose.

"Ew, it's really squishy isn't it?" chimed Lime, reaching over the halfling's shoulder and poking at the pod, "Kind of reminds me of a pair of-"

But before the girl could finish, a loud roar cut them off, and the unmistakable shriek of Majin Buu echoed around them.

"Well, that's our cue to leave!" Gohan said hurriedly, "Hold on tight! And don't drop that ball Videl!"

"Ha, balls."

"LIME!"

They took off, the teen saiyan zipping past cobwebs and dodging stringy nerves as he propelled them through the air as quickly as he could. However, it was kind of difficult to know just where he was going, the innards of Buu all looked the bloody same!

"BUUUUUUUUUUU!" came another scream of fury, though the sound seemed to be coming from all directions.

Gohan slowed down in his flight, as tunnels they were flying through started to pulsate and quiver around them, twisting and turning and blocking off several clear escape routes.

"Is it just me or is this place changing?" Videl asked weakly.

"Buu must be reverting back to his original form," said Gohan a little bubble of hope building in his chest.

"That's all well and good but you'd better hurry up Gohan before old ugly has an aneurysm and we're stuck in here forever!" Lime shouted in his ear, causing his head to spin.

"Who calling Buu ugly?"

Oh shit.

The trio whirled around in horror, only to be greeted by the wicked Majin himself, now reverted back to original form, not a trace of saiyan traits in sight.

"W-what?!" Videl shrieked, "That's impossible! How can Buu be inside his own body?!"

Majin Buu tilted his head creepily to the side as he stared at the girl, "What Buu do in Buu's body? No No. What YOU do in _Buu's_ body! BUU KILL YOU ALL!"

"GOHAN GO!" Lime roared, tugging on his long hair like reigns and shoving her knees into his side.

"I'm not a bloody _horse_ you know!" He yelled, wincing as she dragged back on his messy spikes once more.

"I don't give a monkey's uncle what you are!" She cried, "Now giddy up and get us the hell out of here!"

Rolling his eyes, the teenager shot off like a speeding bullet, causing the girls to scream as he used his new found speed to put enough distance between them and Buu. Yet despite his incredible speeds, the beast was still hot on his tail, and was sure to catch up to them soon if he didn't find a way out.

Throwing caution to the wind, Gohan skidded to a halt at the end of one of the passageways, building up his Ki and gathering a blue ball of energy within his left hand.

"Gohan! What the bloody hell are you doing?! It's a dead end!" Videl cried.

"Ka…meh…"

"Gohan! Are you even listening to me?!"

"Ha…meh…"

"Er Videl?" called the red head on his back, grimacing slightly.

 _"What_ Lime?" she seethed, Buu's laughter getting louder and louder.

"Brace yourself."

Videl frowned, "Brace myself? What for-?"

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The blue hue of the blast illuminated the space around them, as the Kamehameha Wave erupted from Gohan's palm and connected with Buu's flesh. Videl screamed both in shock and anger, whilst Lime gripped onto the halfling's neck for dear life. Gokuto's pod swung in the mighty gust of wind that picked up around them, though Videl still held on tightly and the toddler seemed none the wiser.

The young saiyan sighed as the blast died down, but was aghast to find that the beam had merely scorched the wall in front of them. Gohan's eyes widened, where was the hole? That was supposed to be their escape route damn it!

The tunnel shook suddenly, as an almighty screech offended their ears.

"Nice going Mister Blasty!" Lime growled, glaring daggers at the teen, "He probably felt that one! Now he's really pissed off!"

"Incoming!" Videl yelled, and Gohan had to duck to avoid a fuchsia blast that came out of nowhere, dodging it by a hair's breadth.

"Shit!" The halfling spat, as the tunnel was filled with dazzling light once more.

The walls had started to close in on them now, and Gohan could hear the familiar sound of bones breaking, as they repositioned themselves into their original position.

"Gohan we need to get out of here!" Lime gasped, the tunnels getting smaller and smaller.

"I'm _trying_!" He shot back, powering up and blasting back through the cavern of Buu's mind.

Everything was getting darker, and Gohan was struggling to navigate just where they were going when Lime bellowed down his ear hole, causing him to wince in pain.

"I can see a light!"

The teenager rolled his eyes, "If that's some kind of death joke Lime I swear to Kami-"

"No look! I see it too!" called Videl, as Gohan followed her gaze.

Sure enough, there was the unmistakable glare of daylight shining through an opening above their heads. Without wasting any more time, the young saiyan shot through the tunnel and careened towards the light. It was a long way, much further than he had anticipated, and it was starting to get very warm.

The air was thin, suffocating even, and he had started to sweat profusely. The tunnel suddenly started to shake, a loud rumble reached their ears along with a strange whirring sound.

"STEAM!" Lime shrieked, as a cloud of hot smoke shot towards them.

Gohan yelped, forcing them as far as he could up the wall, the burning heat singeing his tail hair as it careened past them towards the opening.

"It's where we came in!" shouted Videl, "It's one of Buu's steam holes! Quick, we need to get out before it closes!"

"Woah it's like he's about to take off!" said Lime, "steam is coming from everywhere!"

Gritting his teeth, Gohan hurried forwards, following the cloud of steam as fast as his Ki would carry him. But, to his horror, the hole closed up just before they could even reach it.

"Damn it!" he spat, "Missed it."

"OPEN SESEME!" Lime roared, causing the black haired teens to give her an odd look, "What? It was worth a try."

"Don't worry," Videl panted, sweat trickling down her brow from the searing heat, "We just have to wait until he gets pissed off again."

"Well with Vegeta fighting him out there it shouldn't take too long," Gohan snorted, gathering a ball of energy in his palm, "Though I could always blast him again."

The girl's eyes widened, "Wait don't-!"

 **BOOM**


	42. A Godly Mistake

**Chapter Forty-One**

 **A Godly Mistake**

 **xxxx**

By all accounts, it was a spectacular sight to behold. The planet shook from an indescribable force, and it took all his strength just to clench his calf muscles to prevent himself from falling over. Mister Satan had never seen a fight like it, and he had over twenty years of martial arts experience.

Yet what had happened at The Cell Games was different to any other tournament he had fought in before, what with golden haired crazies and nutters with light beams. After the battle was won and the super strong weirdos had disappeared into the sky, he never would have thought he would have seen anything like that again in his life time - or at least he hoped he wouldn't.

He had been wrong, of course, and he should have known something funny was going on when that strange group had turned up at the tournament. He recognised them from The Cell Games, and how could he not? Despite what his daughter thought of him, he wasn't a complete idiot. Son Goku, Krillin, Yamcha and Tien Shinhan were notable competitors, ex-champions that he had aspired to be like since he became interested in martial arts as a young teenager. They had been his inspiration, though awe quickly became jealousy when he failed to make it past the preliminary rounds of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.

He had left that day way back in Age 756 beaten and bloodied, and wondering just how on earth he was going to break it to his pregnant wife that he had failed to bring back any money for them to live off.

It just wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair that these other martial artists won by showing off their fancy beams and light tricks and all Mark Satan had to offer was his fists. He had trained _so hard_. And yet Goku and friends had come out on top, sometimes not even _touching_ their opponents.

It had to be fixed, rigged! They weren't real martial artists at all! They were fakes, tricksters! And he vowed to beat them at the next tournament.

The 24th tournament didn't happen until nearly ten years later, and Hercule as he now referred to himself as, was surprised to find that the Z-Fighter's hadn't shown up at all. Though, his failed plan to annihilate them all didn't phase him in the slightest when he was dubbed the Strongest Under The Heavens.

A decade worth of rigorous training had certainly paid off, yet the tournament winnings wasn't as large as he had hoped, and with a house to pay for and a struggling marriage to save, he wanted a better life for his little girl.

He had thought that his participation in The Cell Games would have been the perfect public opportunity for him to make some money, that was if the mysterious fighter's hadn't shown up. As it turned out, it worked out in Hercule's favour, though it didn't stop the enormous guilt he was struggling with for the past seven years.

Still, he had to support Videl, especially after her mother had left. Making money was easier than ever due to his fame, all he had to do was show his face at a company event or fund raising gala and he would be paid half a million Zeni. He was blinded by fame and fortune of course, eventually loosing sight of the little girl he was striving to provide a better life for and letting the fame and glory go to his head.

He realised that now.

He had no qualms making snide remarks about the other fighters at The Cell Games, his jealousy from years beforehand reared it's ugly head every time someone mentioned them. Though he would not let on that they had been previous tournament winners and competitors, oh no, if he did that then people would start to get suspicious.

And then there was that _Gold Fighter_.

He knew instantly that the blonde haired wild child was the little boy from The Cell Games. The boy who had _actually_ defeated Cell. He panicked, when he had started to fight crime alongside Videl in Satan City, afraid that she would figure out the lies and hate him forever. He _wanted_ to tell Videl, he really did, but how could he break it to the small girl who looked up to him with wide blue eyes as she positively gushed about the fact that her big strong daddy had saved the world?

So he was relieved when his daughter exclaimed - rather colourfully - how much The Gold Fighter got on her nerves. However much the media raved about the 'crime fighting couple', it was clear to see how much Videl detested the boy.

But to Hercule's despair, did the girls attitude towards the golden haired superhero slowly change. The slamming of her bedroom door after getting back from fighting crime was only occasional, the exasperated eye rolling and scoffs of disgust whenever the boy appeared on the news stopped altogether. And the worst thing about it was that there were even more stories from paparazzi of the teenager's working _together_.

Mister Satan was very observant, and being a single father could read his daughter like the back of his hand. After a few months, the girl's appetite started to waver, which was concerning considering how much she trained. He heard her shuffling about the hallways in the middle of the night - pacing, something Videl always did when she couldn't sleep. Not eating, not sleeping, day dreaming so much that even one of the white belts at the dojo managed to land a hit on her during a class. And then there was that small blush, the tinge of redness that spread to her cheeks whenever there was any mention of the mysterious Gold Fighter.

Videl, his baby girl, was in love. She was in love with the boy that had defeated Cell.

Hercule didn't understand how he could have screwed up so badly. And he had only gone and dug himself an even bigger hole when he had reminded the girl that she couldn't have a boyfriend unless he was stronger than him - and they had to prove it by defeating him in a fight. It was silly really, if The Gold Fighter reciprocated Videl's feelings, he wouldn't fight him. Oh no, he would _destroy_ him.

Though luckily for the Champ, the meddling kid had disappeared - or so he thought.

He should have known that the day wasn't going to pan out so well when he saw the ex-champion at the tournament. The spikey mane of Son Goku was too unmistakable to miss. There he had been, with the rest of the Z-Fighter's, aged slightly and with a few more additions to the group, most notably a scruffy looking kid with a tail that was no doubt Goku's son.

He should have put two and two together then, but denial is a strange thing, capable of clouding one's judgement so much so that all he could think about was getting that little punk away from his daughter.

A lot had happened in the hours since he had witnessed the boy transform into The Gold Fighter in the centre of the ring. And although he didn't care much for Gohan - he was a mouthy little bleeder in his opinion - he had to admit he was very impressed. Oh and scared, very very scared.

Gohan seemed to be the only one able to truly stand up to this Majin Buu from what the other's were saying, and Videl did seem to care for him quite a lot. Stupid kid, just what was he getting Videl involved in? He had been more than willing to take Videl and that other girl with him inside that monster. Videl was a stubborn girl yes, but the boy had defeated Cell hadn't he? Couldn't he have stopped her?!

Hercule had tried to protest, he didn't want his little girl to be put in any danger, but he was quickly silenced by Gohan's mother. Chi-Chi was a terrifying woman, her onyx eyes were as hard as steel as she glared at him. Though, she had explained that she wasn't very happy about the situation either, and who could blame her? Her husband and son were fighting that monster, whilst her other son and grandson were in danger of being trapped inside the beast. After a while though, he had agreed with her reasoning, Videl may have been safer inside Majin Buu than out on the battle field.

He just hoped he would get to see her beautiful sapphire eyes light up at the sight of him again.

Though Chi-Chi and Bulma had assured him that he would, and he was rather surprised at their calmness to witnessing such an epic battle. Just how many times had they been on the sidelines of such destruction?

Speaking of destruction, the planet they were on seemed to be falling apart. Red hot lava surrounded them, as tornado's ravaged the once pristine lands. He was glad of whatever kind of force field the little old purple man had conjured up for them so that he could watch the fight without being in too much danger.

He wasn't sure what he was getting himself into when the younger purple man had appeared suddenly upon Earth and grasped Gohan's hand. All Hercule knew was that he wasn't going to let Videl go off with that SKINNY LITTLE - eh hem, _Gohan_ again and get herself hurt. So he grabbed hold of her, trying to pull her back when they had disappeared from Earth altogether.

He had managed to gather snippets from the spouses and friends of the Z-Fighter's about just what the hell was going on, but he didn't need much information to know that it was certainly _not_ good. At first he thought it was a dream, no, a nightmare! These people were utterly crazy, and must have a death wish fighting such a terrifying being such as Majin Buu. But alas, it was all far too real.

Another tremor shook the planet, causing the shield bubble they were in to quiver. Bulma squeaked from beside him, holding onto her blue haired little girl with all her might.

"Mummy?" Bulla, he thinks her name was, said, "Who's that?"

"I think it's your daddy sweetheart," the mother replied, wide eyes staring at the scene below, "Well… at least, it used to be."

Hercule frowned, as the two titan's clashed in midair. Shock waves erupted from each hit they landed, each knuckle that crashed into bone and each boot that embedded into the other's gut.

The old man with the stick, who Hercule was surprised to find out was the legendary Master Roshi was providing a pretty good commentary on the fight at hand, as most of the time they were moving so fast that he couldn't see anything. He couldn't sense power levels or anything like the old master could, but he was willing to bet that this new opponent - Vegito, was giving Majin Buu a run for his money.

It was electrifying experience to watch, thrilling and utterly terrifying at the same time. The Z-Fighters were watching the battle from the ground, their eyes darting all over the sky as they followed it. The purple skinned Kai was next to them, his features contorting as they switched from worry, to hope, to worry again.

Suddenly, there was a ripple of power through the air, and something dropped rapidly out of the sky. A strangled shout came from the newly fused warrior, as Gotenks became involved in the fight once more, but was sent flying through the air from a crippling attack from Majin Buu.

The long haired child screamed, blood pouring from his lip as he came hurtling towards the shield at break neck speed.

"Everyone stand back!" Dende cried, as Gotenks crashed into the shield, the force of which caused their safety barrier to crack down the centre and shatter into nothingness.

Hercule shrieked, along with everyone else as he hit the hard ground. Yet the other's fall was softened by his body, landing right on top of him.

"Ow…" he whimpered, though no one seemed to notice.

"Goten! Trunks!" Dende yelped worriedly, "Oh my goodness, are you alright?"

It wasn't obvious if the time had run out for the fused boy, or whether Buu had hit Gotenks so hard that he broke out of the fusion, as Goten and Trunks were separated again, each with a scowl upon their features and a very sore jaw.

"Stupid Buu!" Trunks growled, "We had him there before our dad's interfered!"

"Yeah Trunks," agreed Goten, dusting himself off, "Maybe we shouldn't have held back our super saiyan three transformation for so long."

"Nah," the purple haired prince waved him off, "It was loads better that way, we had a proper audience and everything. It was way more dramatic."

Hercule's eyes boggled, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Damn, he should get these kids on his promo team.

"Sweetie!" Chi-Chi cried, embracing her son in a tight hug whilst Trunks got the same treatment from Bulma, "Oh my baby boy, you fought so well, I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks Mummy," Goten smiled happily.

Bulma smiled, ruffling her son's hair affectionately, "Nice moves, but whats say you leave it to your dad's now eh?"

Trunks pouted, "But _Mum-_!"

"No but's mister!" She frowned, "I want you to stay here where I can keep an eye on-"

"Hey, aren't you that hairy tosser that took my brother's credit for defeating Cell?" Goten interrupted, catching Hercule's stares.

"GOTEN!" Chi-Chi gasped, "Don't you use that awful language!"

The boy looked confused, "But that's what Gohan called him."

"Yeah, he's a massive prat," Trunks snorted, before giving the Champ an odd look, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Yeah!" Goten glared, "You're not very nice!"

Hercule sweated, "Ah, well, you see, I helped your big brother to get the energy from Earth. I sort of ended up here by accident."

"And we are _very_ thankful for your help Mister Satan," said Bulma, shooting her son a glare, "Aren't we Trunks?"

"Whatever."

Mister Satan gulped, he would have to watch out for those kids. He didn't want to get on the wrong side of them.

A sudden roar broke him out of his thoughts. The ground began to shake once more, and violent winds picked up around the group, causing them to duck for cover.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY SONS!" Vegito cried, a golden aura igniting around his frame as he burst immediately into the second level of super saiyan.

Sonic booms erupted around them, as the two titan's clashed in mid air. Buu's golden hair whipped around him as Vegito gained the upper hand, driving his boot into the beast's gut and sending him flying through the sky fasting than a speeding bullet.

Hercule couldn't keep up, the fighter's disappeared and reappeared sporadically. Though it was evident from the cheers coming form the Z-Fighter's than Vegito was winning.

With a loud crash, Majin Buu smashed into the ground with such force that an enormous crater formed around his body. The monster was feral, blood and saliva dripping from his pointed teeth. He breathed heavily, glaring furiously at the fused warrior that tapped down on the ground in front of him.

Vegito was in the same condition as Buu, with cuts and scrapes littering his body, his gi torn from one shoulder and a nasty looking burn marring the flesh. However, the saiyan bore a confident smirk as he looked down at the monster, a wicked glint in is obsidian eyes.

"Fool!" Majin Buu spat, getting to his feet, "Don't look so confident, I will tear you limb from limb!"

But to the monster's surprise, Vegito simply chuckled.

"You're laughing?" Buu grinned, quickly regaining his composure, "I see, you've finally gone mad."

"Well you're right about one thing _Majin Buu_ ," the fused warrior smirked, "I must be mad, I must be imagining the fact that I just knocked you into a crater. Really, I'm surprised. Surprised that a supposed superior being could make such a fatal mistake."

"What?!" the monster scoffed, "Do you not feel the crippling power that stands before you?!"

"Oh I do," said Vegito calmly, "I can also sense that you have ascended to a level beyond that of a super saiyan."

"Exactly! My power is far superior than that of a measly super saiyan!" Buu growled.

"Indeed, it was foolish of me that I didn't notice it sooner," he snorted, his eyes fixated on Buu, "Great hulking muscles and elevated Ki, traits of an ascended form of the super saiyan transformation. I realised it during our fight, but I see you have yet to notice Buu, that that form is useless. You may have increased your strength, but as consequence you've lost speed and stamina. Of course, it would take someone who needs to use the mind of a child to make himself stronger to make that mistake."

"No!" Buu spat venomously, "You're lying!"

"Oh but I think you know that I'm not," Vegeta smirked, "It takes a true saiyan a lot of hard work and determination to achieve the legend."

"Wait, didn't Gohan say that Trunks and Goten turned super saiyan just by playing in the woods?" Krillin asked in the background.

"Nobody asked for your opinion Krillin!" the flame haired saiyan snarled, before once again averting his eyes back to Buu, "You cannot just draw on the child's reserves in order to achieve the transformation for yourself. The boy is not yet a super saiyan, it won't work."

The manic Majin growled, his body shaking with rage as the warrior continued.

"All you've managed to achieve is powering up, and it takes more than that to defeat a skilled warrior such as myself," he continued, "I know you've noticed a change Majin Buu, I can see that you're frustrated. I've managed to block almost every attack you've made. Face it Buu - you can't hit me."

"FOOLS! IDIOTS!" The beast cried, his dark aura erupting to life around him as his anger surged, "How dare you mock me?!"

"Me, mock you?" Vegito snorted, undeterred by the raging winds around him, "You have made another mistake Majin Buu, you dare to bare a tail of a saiyan when you are not worthy. It is the strength of a saiyan that has caused your power to increase, yet your powers have grown to heights far beyond your understanding - meaning that your power means nothing."

Buu was furious, his muscles bulged even further as he tried to force more power out, "I will show you mortals what true power is! I AM YOUR GOD! YOU WILL BOW DOWN BEFORE -"

 **BOOM.**

Majin Buu was cut short, with a mighty uppercut to the chin, sending his head spinning. He gasped, as Vegito's fist embedded itself into his stomach, causing blood to pour unforgivingly from his mouth.

 **CRACK**

Buu cried out, as Vegito drew back his palm, clenching his fists together and cracking it across the monster's skull. Majin Buu fell to his knees, heaving as he tried to get his breath.

"H-how?" he whispered, as Vegito's golden hair quivered with power, lightening bolts snapping and cracking around his aura.

"You only serve to prove my point that you know nothing about the saiyan race," Vegito said lowly, "We saiyan's bow to no one."

The monster screamed in fury, swinging his enormous fists towards the fused warrior but as Vegito had predicted, he was too slow which allowed him to deliver a sharp blow to the brute's ribs and sending him careening into the air.

But he didn't stop there, and soon Buu was met with a white hot blast that hit him square in the chest, knocking him backwards and causing him to spin wildly through the yellow clouds. Vegito phased out, appearing behind the ancient being and reacquainting Buu with his fist.

The Z-Fighter's were stunned, all that power Majin Buu had gained and yet he had made the same mistake Vegeta and the future Trunks did against Cell all those years ago. Vegito was throwing the manic beast round like a rag doll, and they were ecstatic to see that Buu's slip up had effectively brought them more time.

"FINAL KAMEHAMEHAAAAAAAA!" Vegito roared, as an enormous blue and golden spiral of energy erupted from his palms towards the Majin.

The combined attack of the Final Flash and Kamehameha Wave connected with Buu before he could react. It exploded in a vibrant flash of light, sending Majin Buu's smoking body tumbling to the ground below.

He fell into the hot, gloopy lava, causing it to sizzle and pop from the impact. No more than a second later, did the wicked Majin emerge, gasping for air and seething with rage. Parts of his body were melted and one half of his face sunken, giving him an even more terrifying appearance. Hot lava dripped from his form, his gi bottoms burnt off in several places and smoking.

Spit flew from his mouth as he growled maliciously at Vegito, who floated above him, his features stoic and unwavering.

"Impudent wretch," Buu spat viciously as he stood shakily upright, trembling with fury, "Arrogant saiyan…. BUU KILL YOU! BUU KILL YOU ALL!"

An ear shattering scream erupted from his chest, a scream so shrill that it sounded like nails scratching against a chalkboard. The ancient beast was livid, reaching a smouldering palm towards the sky as his Ki began to spike uncontrollably, a purple orb growing rapidly beneath his fingers.

"WITH THIS POWER, BY THIS _CHILD'S_ POWER, YOU WILL DIE!" He screeched, the spherical blast casting violet shadows across the lava filled planes. It sparked with blue lightening, swirling and pulsating as it grew larger and larger, the sheer force of the energy blasting an enormous crater in the earth. Vegito stepped backwards, sweat trickling down his brow.

Majin Buu grinned maliciously, white eyes wide, "VOID BURST-!"

Suddenly, the blast extinguished, earning the monster a confused look from Vegito and the rest of the Z-Fighters. Buu gasped, a mangled hand clutching at his chest as he stumbled forwards, collapsing onto one knee. Slowly, the beast's white eyes began to glow, and emerald iris' appeared in their centre. Buu's features softened ever so slightly, and his hands came to rest on his stomach, grasping at the flesh desperately.

A loud, earth quaking roar echoed around the planes, causing Mister Satan to jump away from Icarus - he was certain that the dragon was going to finally put him out of his misery and eat him. However, the growl did not come from the purple winged beast, it came from none other than Majin Buu himself.

"So hungry," Buu whined childishly, before shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts, "No, NO! First I will deal with these pests! They must DIE!"

Vegito chuckled, folding his arms across his chest in a gloating manner, "You're relying too heavily on Gokuto. By drawing on his power you're only making his presence more prominent in your mind. Your concentration is wavering. Why don't you give up now Majin Buu? Save yourself the embarrassment."

The monster groaned, as his stomach rumbled again, causing him to double over, squirming with hunger. "No, no, no, no! Hungry… they will die… food… death… hot dogs… destruction…ice cream… must.. kill.. saiyan…"

"Pathetic," Vegito snorted, "A God of Destruction reduced to a babbling mess, all because of a toddler's appetite."

He moaned, green eyes rolling backwards in his head, until, something remarkable happened. Buu's body began to emit a strange white glow, his golden hair flickering to black, to gold, to black again. It retreated into his scalp, his muscles grew leaner and his body shortened considerably. His body contorted painfully, the goopy gelatinous flesh twisting and remoulding back into place.

"W-what?!" The beast cried, staring in bewilderment at his fingers that steadily grew shorter and more sausage-like, "What is this?!"

"Looks like Gohan's succeeded in retrieving the boy," Vegito smirked, "I'll have to congratulate him when he gets out."

"What are you talking about?!" Buu roared, the transformation rapidly taking hold. His eyes widened suddenly in realisation, "stupid halfling! What has he done?! What does this mean?!"

"The end of you, Majin Buu," the fused warrior stated darkly, no emotion in his eyes as he stared at the withering God.

Buu screamed, the light surrounding him exploding and causing a harsh glare that matched that of a solar flare. Aghast and startled shouts escaped the occupants of the planet as they quickly shielded their eyes.

The glare subsided, and Majin Buu was left paralysed as three figures seemingly appeared out of thin air.

 **POP! POP! POP!**

"Ooh! Look Trunks!" Goten laughed, as Videl, Lime and an unconscious Gokuto flew through the air, "People popcorn!"

Trunks rolled his eyes, "Idiot."

The younger hybrid didn't hear, and swiftly kicked off from the ground to catch a startled Videl, whilst Trunks swiftly caught Gokuto in his arms. All three were fairly singed, their clothes smoking in places.

"Ooh they smell toasty!" Goten laughed, before his eyes widened in horror, "Oh no Trunks! Gokuto's mummy is gonna fall!"

Trunks yelped, as Lime flew through the air, screaming her head off as she headed straight for the molten lava below.

"Goten, stupid! How did you miss her?" he yelled at his friend.

"I thought you had her!" Goten shot back, as Lime headed closer and closer to the scolding river of death.

"LIME!" The boys cried desperately, racing towards her as fast as their Ki could carry them.

The red head squeaked, scrunching up her eyes tightly before she felt strong muscular arms wrap around her petite frame and carry her to safety. The girl snapped open her eyes, looking upwards at her golden haired, toga wearing saviour in the form of Olibu.

"Well hellooooooooooooo handsome!" she swooned, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as they safely landed.

Olibu stammered, a red blush evident on his cheeks as he stared at the young woman in his arms, "W-well, hello to you too young miss."

"Phew, that was close!" exclaimed Goten, as he and Trunks landed on a nearby rock face that had been left untouched by the lava.

"I'm going to kill him!" Videl raged as soon as the young boy released her, her hair was stood on end and smoking just like her singed clothes, "He's dead! That bloody golden haired, spandex wearing _twat_!"

Goten winced, whilst Trunks clapped his hands over an unconscious Gokuto's ears.

"Where is he?!" She continued, looking about her, "I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!"

"Yeah Goten where is your brother?" asked Trunks, the halfling in question nowhere to be seen.

Goten frowned, turning to Videl, "I don't know, didn't he come out with you?"

Videl's eyes suddenly widened in horror, "He was right behind us! Y-you don't think… you don't think he didn't make it out do you?"

The young boy's looked just as forlorn as the girl, as they realised they couldn't sense him.

 **xxxx**

Gohan coughed violently, maybe he had overestimated just how much power he had put into the blast. He was still getting used to harbouring all this power after all. He recovered quickly, as his lungs filled with the fresh air of the outside world, and even though the spoils of battle raged around him, it was a lot more breathable than the thick humidity of Buu's insides.

The young saiyan looked around him, eager to get to Gokuto and take him far away from Buu. He spotted Videl and Lime who had been caught swiftly and safely, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Trunks had hold of a sleeping Gokuto in his arms.

It was then that he realised that something was wrong.

Very wrong.

The others had grown back to their original size, whereas he was still microscopic. Everything was huge in comparison to him, the thunderous sounds of battle was almost deafening. The teenager swore under his breath, something must have gone wrong with the spell, but he couldn't see hair nor hide of the wizard Babidi.

He needed to get someones attention, and quick. Majin Buu may have gotten weaker, but he was the one with the power to destroy the monster once and for all. Gathering up his Ki around him, the young saiyan blasted off in the direction of the Z-Fighter's, calling their names desperately as he went.

 **SMACK**

"Bloody fly," muttered Yamcha, dusting off his palms and casting his gaze back towards the sky, where Vegito and Majin Buu had engaged in battle once more.

"Ow mother f-!" Gohan yelped, his head spinning as he caught himself in midair.

He growled, he was going to _kill_ Yamcha when he got back to normal! Shaking his head in annoyance, the teenager buzzed over to Krillin, waving his arms and trying to get his attention.

"Has anyone seen Gohan?" his father's best friend asked worriedly, "Videl and Lime came out a few minutes ago, and no one's seen him!"

"I'm right here stupid!" Gohan yelled, though his small voice failed to be heard.

Snarling in frustration, the halfling glanced around him, but not even the ever perceptive Piccolo noticed he was there. Damn it, he needed to get back to normal! There was no way he could fight Buu like this!

Where was that _sodding_ wizard?

"This is bad," said Tien, "Vegito is strong but the fusion is limited, Gohan better get out soon or we're done for."

The teenager frowned, Vegito? Catching sight of Buu's new opponent up above him. It was strange, he was incredibly powerful, and he could feel a mixture of his father's and Vegeta's Ki within him. His eyes widened in realisation, the two must have fused somehow!

This day was just getting weirder and weirder.

A sudden growl reached his ears, reverberating through his bones and causing him to turn to face the non-fighter's over by the half destroyed temple. Icarus was standing next to a sobbing Mister Satan, tears of joy streaming down his cheeks as he hugged his daughter to his chest. At first, Gohan thought that the large dragon was growling disapprovingly at the display, but soon realised that his large green eyes were fixated on the halfling.

He gasped, of course! Icarus could see him! A dragon's vision was significantly more heightened and advanced for hunting purposes! Jumping with glee, the young saiyan sped over to the winged beast, grinning widely at him as he approached. It was times like this that he was actually glad that his mother made him study so much as a kid.

Icarus grew so excited that Gohan was nearly sucked into one of his nostrils as he tried to sniff him. Though he soon recovered, prising himself out of Icarus' nose and perching himself on top of his snout.

"Thank Kami for you boy," smiled Gohan, "Now come on, let's go and find Babidi."

The dragon purred gently, and the teenager had to steady himself as Icarus took off into the air, careful to avoid the battle and swooping high and low to find the wizard. It didn't take them long to spot Babidi, who was cowering behind a bed of rocks, attempting to make his escape.

He yelped, as a snarling Icarus landed directly in front of him, his nostrils smoking dangerously as his large eyes glowered at the wizard.

Babidi blinked, his eyes widening as he spotted Gohan's tiny speck glaring up at him from the dragon's snout.

"Oi! Where the bloody hell do you think you're going?!" The young saiyan squeaked, causing the wicked wizard to roar with laughter.

"Oh my! Such a big temper coming from someone so small!" He cackled, causing Gohan to growl.

"Change me back right now!"

Babidi smirked, "Oh? And why should I? Why should I help a no good brat of the Kai's who disrespects the great wizard Babidi? I said I'd help your little friends, but I never said I'd help _you_! Too bad, Majin Buu may be victorious after all."

"You're a fool!" Gohan spat viciously, "If I don't stop him then Buu will destroy everything! He could destroy HFIL too and you won't exist either!"

"Oh ho," The wizard laughed with mirth, "That's a chance I'm willing to take, if it means it'll get rid of you meddling saiyans! And there's nothing you can do about it!"

"I'll blast you!" The teenager roared, charging up a powerful Ki blast and firing it at close range.

Yet the attack merely appeared as a tiny beam of light, hitting Babidi between the eyes in a small wisp of smoke.

"HA!" He barked, "One of those does nothing-!"

But his laughter was cut short, as a torrent of fire suddenly engulfed his frame, singeing his sickly green skin so that he now resembled a piece of blackened charcoal. He let out a wheezing cough, a puff of smoke escaping his lips.

Gohan smirked, patting Icarus' nose affectionately before turning to the smouldering wizard, "So, you were saying?"

 **xxxx**

Majin Buu had quickly recovered from the physical strain of reverting back to his original form, though he was as furious as ever. Even though his power had dwindled, his attacks were manic, more frenzied as he engaged with Vegito's onslaught, and the fused warrior was struggling to keep the monster from blowing a gasket and blasting the whole of Otherworld into smithereens.

"This isn't good!" Krillin cried, as Vegito parried a well aimed blast by the Majin away from the planet's core, "Buu's really got it in for us now!"

"DESTROY! DESTROY! BUU DESTROY!" The wicked beast cried manically from above, powering his fuchsia aura around him before Vegito struck him across the jaw, sending him hurtling across the skies.

The planet was now apocalyptic, and resembled nothing of its previous grandeur. The vibrant training grounds were now nothing but barren wastelands, the sparkling rivers now filled with hot bubbling lava and the extravagant temple reduced to rubble. Warriors of the dead were either gone forever or severely wounded, not a far cry from what the Z-Fighter's were now. Their family and friends were caked in mud and battle filth, just as frightened and perplexed as ever.

The skies were now as dark as night back on Earth, though no twinkling stars shone from above. Lightening cracked from the sky, hitting the dusty ground and creating fires that roared around them, intermingling with the destructive sounds of battle.

Vegito, it seemed, was now their only hope as Gohan was still nowhere to be seen. Worry around the teenager's whereabouts seemed to only fuel their solemn outlook. Although Vegito was currently holding his own, his time limit was short, and Majin Buu wasn't making it any easier defeat him.

All the ancient brute seemed to be concentrating on was destroying them all, as he dodged and sped away from his opponent, firing fatal blasts towards the planet in an attempt to blow it to smithereens. If he succeeded, there would be nothing left, and the universe would fall.

"Stay still!" Vegito roared, white hot beams of energy erupting out of his palms as Buu phased in and out of the sky, cackling manically as they missed him completely.

Buu stuck his tongue out childishly, causing Vegito's anger to swell.

He growled, immediately jumping into the second level of super saiyan, bolts of lightening crackling around his frame as his aura exploded to life. A sonic boom rippled across the decimated planet, the two fighter's exchanging blows so fast and viciously, that it was almost impossible to see.

"Damn it! I can barely keep up!" Exclaimed Yamcha, squinting his eyes as he looked towards the dark sky.

"It's no use," Piccolo spat, "Vegito can't keep this up forever, we need to take Buu down before he looses control."

"But what about Gohan?!" Yamcha cried, though the Namekian did not answer, a dark look in his eyes.

"Right behind you," Eighteen said boldly, before kicking off from the ground and following the Namekian into the air.

The Z-Fighter's and warriors of the dead followed suit, each firing their most deadly attack towards the fray. Vegito phased out of the way as soon as the swelling Ki of his comrades illuminated his senses, smirking as Majin Buu was hit with the sheer might of the Z-Fighter's.

"SPIRIT BALL!"

"DESTRUCTO DISK!"

"TRI-BEAM HAAAAAAAAA!"

"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"

"KAMEHAMEHAAAAAAAA!

"GALIC GUN!" A super saiyan Trunks cried, joining in the fray.

"MASENKO-HAAAAAAAAA!" Goten roared, powering up into super saiyan and bringing up the rear.

Vegito gritted his teeth, "IT'S OVER MAJIN BUU! FINAL KAMEHAMEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The planet shook from the incredible force of the combined power, the four Kai's of the galaxies having to create another shield around the group near the destroyed temple so that the beams of energy that escaped the nucleus of the blast didn't harm them.

"Keep going!" Piccolo roared to his friends, causing them to push more of their energy into the blast.

Torrents of wind picked up around them, as Buu's screams started to disappear. Hope rose in their hearts as the sphere of deadly energy grew larger and larger, totally disabling Buu. This was it, this was the end, they were going to win. A huge explosion sounded, knocking the warriors back a few feet. Dust encircled them as the light from their combined attack dwindled, and Buu's energy disappeared.

Piccolo panted, his energy spent as he looked over to Vegito who was in a similar position as he.

"It's done," the fused saiyan spoke, his voice strained with exhaustion.

Silence seemed to echo over the desolate planes, King Kai coughed from somewhere in the distance and Piccolo's discarded cape rippled from it's place on the ground as a small wind blew between them.

Then, something tingled in the base of Piccolo's skull. A spark of dark energy, only for his sensitive hearing to pick up the small sound of childish laughter.

No, it couldn't be.

All at once, there was mass hysteria. The silhouette of Majin Buu suddenly burst through the dust filled clouds, his body significantly damaged but still intact. His energy assaulted their senses, followed by his terrifying scream of fury that they had all grown too accustomed too.

Shouts of desperation were heard from the temple, as one by one the Z-Fighter's and warriors of the dead were picked apart, their crumpled forms hitting the ground in rapid succession. Piccolo growled in frustration, though the manic monster made quick work of him too, striking him in the skull so hard that his ear drums perforated, and he met the dirt in the same manner of his friends.

It was no use, they were all too injured, out of energy. And it was only a matter of time before Majin Buu destroyed them all.

"BASTARD!" Vegito bellowed, his fist careening towards the ancient beast with surprising speed.

Buu smirked, blocking the attack easily and parring the punch with his own, knocking the fused warrior away from him so that he was sent flying through the air.

Vegito was livid, gritting his teeth as he caught himself midair. His ascended super saiyan state wavered, the sparks of electricity disappearing momentarily as his spikey hair began to flicker from gold to black.

"Damn it!" He spat viciously, "What's happening?"

 **POP!**

"NO!" Piccolo yelled from the bloodied crater that had formed around him when he had landed.

The occupants of the planet gasped, as a white light blinded them, and sure enough Vegito had split apart, and in his place floated a very horror stricken Goku and Vegeta.

"W-what's going on?!" Krillin cried, clutching his bloodied side, "It hasn't been an hour yet!"

"Vegito used too much energy, causing him to split apart prematurely," The Supreme Kai informed them solemnly, "I'm afraid it's over."

 **BOOM!**

Goku and Vegeta yelled in unison, as Buu moulded an enormous fist and struck them out of the sky. They landed harshly, picking up dirt around them and causing the monster to roar with laughter.

Vegeta spat out a wad of blood, shoving Goku off from where he had landed on top of him, "Fuck! What the hell was that Kakarot?!"

The younger saiyan was sporting a rather deep gash above his eyebrow, "Damn it, we must have used too much energy!"

"Shit!" The prince spat, tightening his fist, his eyes widening in horror, "I haven't enough energy to transform!"

"Me neither," Goku admitted darkly, his obsidian eyes darting around him as he stared at the broken bodies of his friends, "What are we going to do Vegeta?"

"Me?!" He scoffed, "It was _your_ idea to use the blasted fusion in the first place, why don't _you_ come up with a plan seen as you think your so clever."

"B-but I can't think of anything!" Goku panicked.

"Tch, not surprising."

"BUUUUUUUUUUU!"

"Shit!" the saiyan's chorused, before Majin Buu was upon them once more, his fists slamming into their weakened bodies.

The sound of shattering bones, along with the men's screams echoed over the planet, causing the evil Majin to laugh even harder. Goku gasped for air, as Buu finally pulled back, manic fuchsia eyes glinting at him, holding nothing but sheer insanity and malice. Vegeta's chin was dripping with blood, his leg twisted at an odd angle as he glared back at the beast.

"Buu bored of you now," Majin Buu stated, cocking his head to one side.

Goku winced, as the monster held out his palm, the heat from the growing attack already beginning to prickle his skin. Buu cackled at the look on their faces, finding the whole situation thoroughly entertaining. His laughter reached a new pitch, causing Goku's ears to ring unforgivingly.

"No," Vegeta whispered, scrunching his eyelids tight as the blast grew, "Not like this."

"BUU SAY BYE BYE-!"

" _ROAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!"_

Majin Buu cut off the blast, looking curiously up at the sky as an almighty roar shook the wastelands. His brow furrowed in confusion, as a pair of large wings protruded from the dark clouds, followed by the enormous body of a purple dragon.

Fire erupted from it's jaw, scorching the earth around Buu and causing him to jump away from Goku and Vegeta out of shock. Goku heard the Z-Fighter's gasp around them, some warriors even cheered. And it was then did the saiyan catch sight of the figure standing atop the dragon's back.

He couldn't help but allow a smile to play on his lips as the dragon spiralled towards the ground, descending rapidly and making his landing right in front of the saiyan's. The rider jumped from Icarus' back, his boots touching the ground with an audible tap as he descended slowly.

His tail whipped behind him in warning, the torn cape of The Gold Fighter whipping in the breeze he had created. Onyx eyes stared down at the wicked Majin - his visor having broken off completely, blocking the path between Majin Buu and the two saiyan's on the ground.

Gohan.

The teenager's features softened for a moment, as he scratched Icarus affectionately on the snout, "Thanks for the lift boy, now get out of here and get the other's to safety."

The dragon purred, before taking off into the sky, the sharp wind created from his wings blowing Gohan's long blonde hair around him.

"Y-you!" Majin Buu growled suddenly, "Boy should be dead!"

Gohan snorted, his eyes hardening like steel, "Sorry to disappoint you, but you have my son to thank for that. Your decision to absorb him only served to seal your fate for two simple reasons. One: He is just an innocent little boy and has a pure heart, so by his influence, you couldn't go through with killing me. And two: well, let's just say you picked the wrong saiyan to piss off."

"G-Gohan-," Goku started, but the teen ignored him, as Majin Buu began to scream with fury.

"NO! STUPID BOY! BUU DESTROY YOU!"

"Well, I have to say, you're doing a pretty rubbish job of it so far."

Buu seethed, his mouth salivating as he glared daggers at the halfling.

"What's wrong Buu?" Gohan teased, "Struggling to perform? Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. Well, you know, except for me. I always manage to deliver."

"Brat!" Vegeta spat, "What the hell are you playing at?!"

The young saiyan glared back at them, "I should be asking _you_ that! What the bloody hell are you two doing?! I'm trying to create a distraction so that you can escape!"

Goku and Vegeta shared a look, causing Gohan to sigh in distain.

"What are you waiting for?!" He snarled, "Get everyone out of here, take them to Earth, the Kai's planet - whatever! Just make sure you get to safety, even if I manage to take Buu down, the planet will explode anyway!"

"But Gohan, you cant-!" Goku tried, but the teen abruptly cut him off.

"Enough with the noble act Dad," he growled, "Just do as I say. I can't fight Buu seriously whilst I'm worrying about you lot!"

"Let's go Kakarot," said Vegeta.

"W-what?!" Goku spluttered, as the prince gingerly got to his feet, "I can't leave him here!"

"And what good will it do if we stay?!" he spat back, "Gohan's right, he can't concentrate on fighting that beast if we don't get out of here. I don't like it either, but the best thing you can do for your son right now is to get everyone to safety."

Goku hesitated, causing Vegeta to sigh in distain.

"We will get Dende to heal us," he reasoned, "Once we are back to full strength, we can offer the brat some support."

Goku smiled, allowing the prince to help him up, "Thank you Vegeta."

"Hn."

"Are you done yet?" Gohan asked haughtily, as Majin Buu's power began to spike, "Because old ugly is starting to have another bitch fit."

"BUU NOT UGLY!" The pink monstrosity cried, "YOU WILL PAY! YOU WILL DIE!"

"Hey," the teenager shrugged, "Don't take it out on me, it's not my fault you look like a giant pink condom."

"AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Buu howled, causing rapid winds to pick up around them, and Goku and Vegeta to finally take the hint and take to the air.

"Good luck my son," Goku said sincerely, stopping mid-flight.

"DAD JUST _FUCK OFF_ WILL YOU?!" Gohan roared over the high wind, now was certainly not the time to get emotional.

He knew antagonising the beast would surely make his situation a lot worse, and Buu's thirst for his blood to grow tremendously, but it was the only way he could think of to buy the other's some time. He sighed heavily, as the energies of his friends and family slowly disappeared into the realms of safety, though they were too far away for him to detect as to where they had gotten to.

It was suddenly incredibly lonely out here on the desolate planet.

Majin Buu ceased in his power up, his evil eyes boring into his, seemingly not undeterred that the rest of his targets had vanished into thin air. No, his focus was all on the young saiyan in front of him.

Just Majin Buu the God of Destruction and Son Gohan the 'Brat' of The Kai's.

A battle of legends forgotten and legends to be born, a fight of good against evil, and one whose outcome would forever shape the fate of the universe.

"So, what are you waiting for?" The young saiyan asked menacingly, "The end's been a long time coming."

Buu growled, his childish voice lowered to a whisper, "The end for you, boy."

Gohan smirked, "Let's see, shall we?"

 _This chapter was 15 pages long and took me ages to write. I really liked writing a little history of Hercule, as to me it seemed a bit silly that a good martial artist (lets face it, he did win the 24th WMAT against everyone else that werent the z-fighters!) like him wouldnt recognise Goku and the others from the Cell Games, they are previous finalists, champs, semi finalists after all! So I explored the possibility of him being in the 23rd WMAT that Goku won, and that he actually lost against them. Hence, his jealousy steaming from that and why he was quick to put them down. The gang still think he is an idiot, but for Gohan's sake they have momentarily accepted him, they like Videl after all. Plus, there are bigger things going on for them to have an argument with him, so I thought it would be better for Goten and Trunks to poke fun and be hostile towards him instead. So now we've had the smackdown with Vegito and we are faced with the final battle! 'does happy dance' Thank you for all the love everyone. I have really fallen back in love with writing, and you have all given me so much more confidence! Now, enough with the mushy stuff, and onwards to the final showdown... (coming soon, I promise!) xx_


	43. Gohan's Last Stand

_**The final battle is about to take place! Hope you enjoy! :)**_

 **Chapter Forty-Two**

 **Gohan's Last Stand**

 **xxxx**

Gohan knew what he was doing was incredibly risky, attempting to defeat a God of Destruction on a planet that was just moments away from exploding due to the desolation of battle that had been inflicted upon it.

Probably didn't help that Gohan had lost control earlier and punched Buu through the planets core - but he didn't have time to dwell on such minor details.

His battle with Majin Buu was more fierce than ever before, made all the more critical from the fact that he knew he had to end it quickly for fear of being engulfed by the planets explosion. It wouldn't do him well to die again, as there was currently no check in station and no King Yemma to judge him. He wasn't even sure whether he would be able to cross dimensions and challenge Buu again. That would be all the more risky, as if he died when already dead, then he would cease to exist.

So that was the teenager's main objective, try to kill Majin Buu before he killed him.

Marvellous.

Their fists connected with incredible force as they fought high above the planet. They fired each other through the blackened clouds, and Gohan had to really concentrate on keeping Buu's power at the forefront of his senses, as the dark sky made it all the more difficult to see.

Though gradually, as the fight went on, the wicked Majin's screams grew more desperate and frequent, helping the teenager to pin point his exact location through the clouds and boot him across the sky with more precision.

He had to congratulate himself for his genius really, what with him able to distract the monster for so long, Babidi was able to put the controlling spell on Buu. Gohan could sense that he had weakened considerably, and he was quite surprised that his father and Vegeta hadn't sensed it. Though he reasoned that they were too injured and shocked at his display to take much notice.

However, Gohan thought as Buu's fist struck him once more across the jaw, the ancient beast was still going to be just as tough to beat.

The young saiyan allowed a bellow to escape his chest, powering his aura around him, the explosive wave knocking Buu backwards a few feet. Phasing out as the monster became slightly dazed, Gohan drove a spinning kick into the side of his opponents skull, causing him to scream in frustration.

"MASENKO-HAAAAA!" The teenager roared, the powerful beam connecting with Majin Buu's side and ripping straight through his torso.

The monster howled, clenching his fists tightly as the gelatinous flesh moulded back together.

Gohan swore loudly, phasing out and flying off into the distance, Majin Buu hot on his tail. He span wildly in the air, firing a white hot ball of energy towards the beast. Buu deflected it easily, growling in mirth as the teenager had disappeared from sight.

"MADE YA LOOK!" came an almighty bellow, as the halfling in question suddenly appeared behind the brute and delivered a bone quaking elbow strike to the back of his neck.

Buu hurtled towards the planet, the impact from where he landed causing another large crater to form in the earth. He glared up at the awaiting teen, blood and saliva dripping from his mouth.

"No fair…" He whined, stomping his foot heavily on the ground and causing another enormous tremor to rock the planet, "NO FAIR! NO FAIR!"

Gohan snorted, his tail waving behind him as he folded his arms across his chest, "No fair? I'll tell you what's not fair, the fact that I've got to keep coming back and kicking the shit out of you. How many times have we done this? I don't know, two, maybe three times? Be really helpful if you just rolled over and died if I'm honest."

"BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" The monster roared, his fuchsia aura exploding around him.

The teenager sighed in distain, "And now we have _this_ again."

"DESTROY! DESTROY! BUU WILL DESTROY!" He cried to the pitch black skies, lightening crackling around his aura.

Then, to Gohan's surprise, the wicked Majin began to grow in size, his muscles bulged and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Veins protruded from his skin, pulsating violently as Buu grew taller and taller, his enormous feet digging into the planet's surface.

An almighty roar shook the entire upper heavens, as the young saiyan was now face to face with Buu's gigantic eyeball. Pointed teeth grinned at him manically, as Gohan attempted to gulp down the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat.

Of all the things he was expecting, he certainly wasn't expecting to have to face off an evil monster that was well over a hundred feet tall.

Buu emitted an earth quaking roar, causing the messy spikes of Gohan's dyed blonde hair to blow backwards from his face.

"Oh shit."

 **xxxx**

 **The Lookout, Planet Earth**

"What the hell does that damned brat think he's doing?!" Vegeta spat, as the rest of the group looked hopelessly at the crystal ball.

They were all healed now, thanks to Dende, Kibito and a bucket load of senzu beans that they had acquired from a rather flabbergasted Korin. The Lookout had never been so crowded, what with the Z-gang, hundreds of surviving warriors of the dead and all of the Kai's.

Goku looked just as panicked as the rest of them, as the newly giant Majin Buu aimed an enormous fist towards his eldest son, Gohan dodging it by just a fraction of a second.

"I thought he had a plan from the way he was talking," he sighed hopelessly, wishing he could help, but he was nowhere near back to full strength.

"Damn it, I thought Gohan had him there," growled Yamcha, "But despite his increase in size, Buu's strength and speed hasn't diminished in the slightest!"

"This is bullshit," Tien said angrily, "What's it going to take to beat this thing?"

Though no one spoke, The Supreme Kai looked especially irked by the situation. His ceremonial robes were in tatters and his eyes haunted as he stared blankly at the crystal ball. Another blast of light illuminated the glass, and Gohan's cries of anger filled the air, along with the manic laughter of Buu.

"We have to _do_ something!" Chi-Chi cried suddenly, tears in her eyes as she grasped tightly onto Goten, "We can't just leave my baby to die at the hands of that monster again! Goku, help him! Please!"

Goku gave her a solemn look, but it was Piccolo that spoke.

"There's nothing we can do Chi-Chi," he stated boldly, "Gohan is the only one with enough power to stand up to Majin Buu."

She looked between the Z-Fighters helplessly, before cradling Goten to her bosom even tighter, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Don't worry Chi-Chi," said Videl, "I know Gohan can do it."

"V-Videl?" the ox-princess sniffed.

Videl smiled, her sapphire eyes aglow with determination as she looked towards the Z-Fighters, "I can't sense power levels like you lot. But call me crazy, I just know he has the power inside him. Don't ask me how I know, but I can just feel it."

"But sweet-pea," Mister Satan said gently, "How could you possibly-?"

"I believe you Videl," Lime cut across him, giving the girl a knowing smile as she held onto a still sleeping Gokuto.

"You do?" she blinked.

"Of course I do," the red head scoffed, shooting a glare at the others, "And it's about time you lot believed in him too. He might not know _completely_ what he's doing, but that's Gohan isn't it? He always finds a way."

Goku smiled at the two girls, "That's right, he does."

 _"That's it you gigantic prick! I've had enough!"_

The occupants of The Lookout averted their attention to the crystal ball, as Gohan's manic shouts echoed over the ancient sanctuary.

Lime winced, as another explosion sounded and Gohan's smoking figure shot through the air, "Well you know, eventually…"

"LIME!" Videl roared.

"What? I was just saying!"

Kibito sighed as the image of their supposed saviour stopped to give the greatest threat to the universe a rather rude hand gesture, before he was fired through the sky once more. His eyes averted to his master, who was still watching the fight intently.

Was this wild young saiyan really their best hope? Th answer to their prayers? He wasn't sure that he wanted to wait to find out.

 **xxxx**

 **The Grand Kai's Planet, Otherworld**

Gohan coughed, expelling the smoke from his lungs as he skidded to a halt. Majin Buu cackled loudly, his now deep voice echoing in his ears.

Damn it all to all that is holy! How could it have gone so wrong? He was certain he would be able to beat Buu eventually what with Babidi's spell. But noooooo, he had to get all cocky again, mess it all up and be completely helpless to fix it!

He yelped, dodging and ducking out of the way of the monster's enormous fists. How the bloody hell was he going to get himself out of this one? He just had to send his father and the rest of the experienced fighters away didn't he?! Well done Gohan, you _arse_. Buu wasn't letting up, it was like going head to head with a raging Oozaru, he could barely get an attack in edgeways, let alone fly high enough to attack without Buu striking him down before he had the chance.

Honestly, he couldn't be in a worse situation if he tried.

Then again, he wouldn't really have to try any harder.

Without warning, Majin Buu emitted a strangled cry, the power from his almighty breath sending the young saiyan spinning out of control. Then, out of the corner of his eye did he see deep cracks begin to form within the surface of the planet, hot lava spewed from the crevices and hit Buu's rubbery flesh, melting it on impact.

Buu cackled, as a loud rumble reached Gohan's ears. The Kai's planet began to shake uncontrollably, and the teenager depicted a sharp jump in Buu's Ki, when a massive explosion blasted across the heavens. The once beautiful planet imploded, time had ran out. Rocks and stray debris hurtled through the dark clouds, lighting up the darkness with an eerie glow.

Gohan yelled, gathering up his Ki and propelling himself away from the blast. Majin Buu screamed, too distracted by the young saiyan that he was engulfed in the explosion. The teenager ducked out of the way of the incoming meteorites, though several crashed into distant planets and caused even more destruction.

Gohan met the same fate as Buu, as explosions hit his body from all angles, the aftershocks causing him to spin out of control. He felt dizzy, his head reeling from the sounds of ultimate destruction. He faded in and out of consciousness, struggling to keep himself awake until he hit an oncoming rock dead on.

 **xxxx**

 **The Lookout, Planet Earth**

"GOHAN!"

The sudden roar startled the young boy out of his slumber. Son Gokuto blinked, his emerald eyes darting around him. The familiar faces of his friends and family were intermingled with some he did not recognise. They were on The Lookout, he realised, catching sight of Dende and Mister Piccolo who were staring intently at a glass ball on the ground.

He shifted slightly, his rapid heartbeat slowing as he found that he was safe in his mother's warm arms. Though, there was something wrong, the red head's eyes were full of hurt, he could feel her small Ki fluctuating wildly as she too was transfixed by the ball.

The young boy was about to call out to her, when a feeling of dread surfaced in his stomach. His father wasn't with them again, he was incredibly far away. He could sense his enormous energy struggling as some kind of natural force happened around him.

Gokuto gasped, his tail instinctively wrapping around his mother's wrist as the energy of Majin Buu flooded his senses. The monster was terrifying, even more scary than that evil man Checha who tried to kidnap him. Tears welled up in his eyes, why was his Daddy so close to him? It wasn't safe! Daddy needed to get away!

 _"Hush little saiyan, all will be well."_

Gokuto nearly jumped a mile, as a cool voice entered his mind. He quickly looked around him, wondering who had spoken, and indeed if anyone else could hear the voice, when a light chuckle filled his mind once more.

 _"Do not fret young one, no one else can hear, only you."_

"W-who are you?" the toddler whispered, confusion etched upon his features.

 _"All will be revealed in good time,"_ the voice said calmly, _"All you need to know is that you must not be afraid, I am here to help."_

For some reason, Gokuto believed the strange man. His voice was almost soothing, musical in it's nature as he spoke again.

 _"You can feel your father fighting that monster can't you little one?"_

Gokuto nodded, glancing up to his mother curiously.

 _"Don't worry, she can't hear you speak,"_ he said with an air of amusement, _"I have made sure that this conversation is just between us."_

"Um, okay mister," he replied politely.

 _"Now, I want you to do me a favour Gokuto, I want you to think of the last thing you remember."_

Gokuto frowned in hesitation, yet something about this strange man told the young boy that he could trust him. What had happened before he woke up? He remembered being on a strange planet with Mummy and Dende, surrounded by lots of Mister Piccolo's… an explosion… the pink monster Majin Buu… he hurt his Mummy!… the monster wanted him, yearned for him… then Daddy, Daddy was coming to save him… Buu attacked them… he remembered the sticky goop coming towards him… and then….

 _"Ah, ah, ah,"_ came the voice, _"Try harder Gokuto, think harder."_

The toddler didn't know what he meant by that, he thought back to the tournament, how Daddy got hurt. He remembered playing with Bulla, talking with the nice lady with blue eyes and dark hair. He remembered the arena, how tasty the hotdogs were, how cool Goten and Trunks looked when they fought against each other… then, there was that dream… the dream of the monster…

A sharp pang rippled across his skull, causing the young boy to wince in pain.

 _"That's it, you're starting to remember…"_

The sound of the monsters roar echoed around in his mind as he struggled to keep on thinking. He remembered his father dancing with the nice lady, he remembered meeting the strange purple man and his large friend who seemed to dislike his father. Then, he remembered how familiar the purple man looked… The Kai… The Supreme Kai…

Something clicked deep within his memories, pain exploded within his skull as The Lookout began to fade, the sounds of his family and friends disappearing and replaced with the familiar roar of battle.

 ** _Thousands of Years Before Age, Planet Sadal._**

 _"Supreme Kai!" He roared, as the monster knocked his beloved creator and mentor through a wall of stone._

 _The temple his clan had built years before his birth fell into rubble, sending clouds of dust high into the air. The young prince gritted his teeth in anger, though he took some relief in the fact that he could still sense the Kai's Ki pulsating steadily from underneath the decimated rock._

 _This was all wrong, this was not the way it was supposed to be! It was not the way it was foretold!_

 _If only he had reached the transformation like the Kai's wanted, Majin Buu would be dead by now. Bibidi wouldn't have found his home planet, and instructed the wicked monster to slaughter his family._

 _But no, he was too weak, he had failed to extract the Z-Sword from it's rocky prison. Perhaps Kibito was right, the sword was created by the Gods after all, and he was but a mere mortal. And now, he was too late. His mother and father, the King and Queen of the saiyan race, were dead. If only he had gotten back sooner, if only he had gotten stronger!_

 _Bibidi's wicked taunts and manic laughter echoed around him, as his brother's in arms lay beaten and bloodied around him._

 _"No one can match my Majin Buu! Not even you Supreme Kai!" The wizard chortled, dark shadows cast across the battle field from the light of Buu's fuchsia aura, "What say you saiyan? The Kai seems to be quite fond of you. Though, I can't imagine why, when you failed to obtain the only thing that can beat my Buu!"_

 _The young saiyan gritted his teeth, tears of frustration welling in his eyes. Though he would not let them fall, saiyan's did not show such weakness after all._

 _"Oh ho!" Bibidi cackled, "Don't look so down my boy! You will soon meet your parents in the afterlife!"_

 _He growled, his tail swishing behind him angrily as Buu's screams reached his ears. The monster's Ki exploded as he careened towards him, yet the saiyan held his ground. Whether or not he had the Z-Sword, he would not fail his family, he would not fail his creator - he would achieve the transformation of the saiyan race, and he would defeat Majin Buu once and for all._

 **Age 774, The Lookout, Planet Earth**

Gokuto gasped, feeling as though he was momentarily drowning from the memories that swelled within. He attempted to steady his breathing, his young mind confused at what he just saw.

 _"All will be revealed in good time young saiyan,"_ The voice was back, eliminating the possibility that Gokuto had slipped into another dream.

" _Do you understand now?"_ The mysterious man asked him, _"The only way to truly defeat a God, is for another God to destroy him. Seen as the Z-Sword is an object created by the Gods, it is the only way for Majin Buu to be defeated now."_

"B-but my Daddy can defeat him? Can't he?" Gokuto asked worriedly.

He chuckled, _"Your father is incredibly powerful Gokuto, though he struggles with himself, perhaps in a lot of ways that are too complex for your young mind to understand. It is true that your father has all the power he needs, but he is scared Gokuto. He is too scared of his own failures as a person, as a son and father. He is brave, and selfless, but he is his own worst enemy. Son Gohan has too much pain and grief in his heart that will take time to overcome. Which is why he needs your help Gokuto. Your father has the power, he just needs to truly believe in himself. That, along with a weapon of the Gods, he will be able to destroy Majin Buu once and for all."_

"B-but where is the sword? How can Daddy get it?" he asked.

 _"Oh Gokuto,"_ he laughed softly at the boy's innocence, " _You have known all along. Try to sense it little saiyan, cast your memories back to a place long forgotten by your dormant soul. Close your eyes, feel the power of the Gods running through your veins…"_

Gokuto did as he was told, and as soon as he closed his eyes, did he feel as though his entire body was being propelled through a tunnel. His minds eye twitched in anticipation and excitement, violet skies surrounded him as his mind surged forwards and he was suddenly greeted with black clouds and rubble of a long dead planet.

 _"That's it, well done, almost there…"_

A glint of metal caught his eye, and sure enough the image of the broken blade entered his mind.

" _Excellent,"_ The voice praised him, _"Now send it through a rift to your father."_

Gokuto blinked, "A what?"

The voice sighed at his childish manner, " _Concentrate on your father's energy Gokuto, you must_ ** _will_** _the Z-Sword to your father. Remember when Buu destroyed the Earth? You willed yourself and everyone else to a safe place, and ended up in the Kai's sacred realm. You must do the same again. Wish with all your might now, you don't want it to end up in the wrong hands."_

The little saiyan thought very hard, and soon enough the image of The Lookout came back to him, and he felt the familiar warmth of his mother's arms. The Z-Fighter's were still looking towards the crystal ball, though many of them breathed a collective sigh of relief.

He frowned, the presence in his mind long gone.

"Hello? Mister?" Gokuto asked aloud, his tail waving about him curiously.

"Gokuto! You're awake!" Lime exclaimed happily, tears shining in her eyes as she cradled him to her, kissing him all over his messy hair.

The young boy giggled at her touch, before he frowned, looking about him, "Mister voice man?"

"What's up sweetie?" she asked, "Who are you talking to?"

His eyes widened, realising his slip up, "Oh um, no one Mummy."

 **xxxx**

 **Far Above The Heavens, Otherworld**

Gohan floated there in the dark abyss of Otherworld. He was confused, dazed, not knowing quite how much time had passed, when he felt a rather annoying poke in his mind.

"Mummy I don't want to get up for school today," he mumbled groggily, until he felt a mental slap across his senses.

"Ow! Piccolo! What the bloody hell did you do that for?!" he growled, as the familiar presence of his mentor came into the forefront of his mind.

 _"Gohan,"_ The Namekian spoke worriedly, _"Are you alright?"_

The teenager couldn't help but roll his eyes, frustrated with himself when he realised Buu had once again disappeared from his senses, "Just splendid Mister Piccolo, thank you for asking. Now, mind telling me where Mister 'Destroyer Complex' has gotten to?"

 _"Kid,"_ Piccolo said sternly, _"The heaven's have been destroyed."_

Gohan blinked, bolting upright from where he floated, "Come again?"

 _"Grand Kai's planet, the Kai's sacred realm, everything Gohan,"_ his mentor informed him gravely, _"It seems Majin Buu decided to have a little fun destroying what was left after the planet exploded, though the dimension is still there. He disappeared after the blast, but it would be suicidal to think that he wasn't still out there somewhere. It's a wonder how you survived."_

At this point, he would be willing to put it down to sheer dumb luck.

Just how many planets were going to be destroyed because of him today? Just how many lives had been lost, and for the most part forever? How many times had he put his own son and the rest of his friends in danger? Just because he had been too weak, too arrogant, too cocky to help them. What good was all this power everybody harped on about, when it never did any good for anyone?

 _"Gohan, listen to me,"_ Piccolo started, the teenager's feelings too strong for him to ignore through their mental link, " _Your father-"_

At the mention of his father, Gohan started to chuckle darkly, catching his mentor off guard.

"You know, I was always afraid of becoming my Dad," he told him, "Mostly because I thought I never could."

Silence.

"And do you know what the worst thing is Mister Piccolo?" The young saiyan continued, his voice echoing through the silence of the heavens, "I ignored everything about him. His death, his presence after coming back for the tournament. Mostly, mostly because I knew I would disappoint him. You were right when you asked me how I would fair if another threat came to Earth, I wouldn't be strong enough."

" _Gohan-"_

"No Piccolo," he croaked, "It's not about power anymore, it's about me. My Dad, how could I fill his shoes? How do you become someone like him? That brave? I tried Piccolo, I really fucking tried. But I haven't changed. My body's grown, my power is beyond measure, but I'm still the same scared little kid that needs his friends to get hurt before he can step up to the plate."

 _"Gohan_ ," another voice rang through his mind, causing him to start a little.

It was his father. Gohan gulped, had he been listening all this time?

 _"Gohan you are your own person,"_ Goku spoke lowly, though the teenager could depict the raging emotion in his voice, _"I realise that now. Vegeta and Piccolo have had to knock a bit of sense into me to truly understand. But I should have never,_ ** _ever_** _have made you go up against Cell that day. It was not a battle for a kid, even one with such amazing power as yours. I didn't think Gohan, and I am so, so sorry. I'm sorry for everything I put you through."_

"But Dad I-"

 _"No son, listen,"_ said Goku somewhat sternly, _"I understand how you feel, you feel as though you made an awful mistake, but so do I. Everyone makes mistakes kiddo, but do you know what the best thing is about that? We learn from them. I just wished I had learned from mine a lot sooner."_

"Dad…" The teenager whispered, his chest feeling suddenly lighter.

Damn it, who was cutting onions up here?!

 _"You have everything you need inside you to win this Gohan. The power, the knowledge, the heart. Just, just stop comparing yourself to me eh? Stop comparing yourself to any of us, Piccolo, Vegeta and even Majin Buu. You were the reason why we kept on fighting Gohan, you're the reason why everyone is safe here on The Lookout. I know it may seem easy for me to say, but don't give up son. Gokuto needs you, your mother, Goten, everyone."_

The teenager sighed, his father was right. What would Gokuto think of him if he knew he was sulking rather than taking down the monster that had almost killed him?

 _"Gohan,"_ came another voice, The Supreme Kai he realised with wide eyes, " _I have lived for millions of years, and although I have had a lot of hard lessons to learn over my life, I know that I was not wrong about you. You are not a warrior Gohan, you do not thirst for battle and mayhem. Yet it is the reason why you were able to retrieve the Z-Sword from the stone."_

"What?" he mustered, "But that doesn't make any sense."

 _"Oh but it does young one,"_ The Kai chuckled, _"A warrior fights for duty and honour, yet a hero - like you, fights when no one else can. A hero is someone who's presence automatically liberates others. They fight with their heart, not there heads, which makes them truly great."_

The young saiyan gulped, his heart beating a little faster as he thought back to all those watching him on Earth. Then is father spoke again, softly that he almost missed it;

" _Believe in yourself kiddo, just like I believe in you."_

Gohan's chest suddenly swelled with a new found confidence, and he hurriedly wiped the wetness away from his cheeks with the sleeve of his Gold Fighter costume. His father was right, he just had to believe in himself. He could do it, hell, he _had_ to do it! Thoughts of his family and friends swirled around in his mind as his white aura burst to life around him, lightening danced around his aura as the dark clouds dispersed away from the sky surrounding him.

 _"That's my boy,"_ his father's voice whispered pridefully.

Though, as soon as the words rang around in his mind, did he feel a forceful tug at his senses and sure enough did the evil energy of the wicked Majin begin to pulsate from somewhere below him. Gohan gritted his teeth, it wouldn't be long before Buu pinpointed his location and the fearsome battle would resume.

A small feeling of dread suddenly wormed it's way into the pit of his stomach, "Now what?"

But there was no time to dwell, as Majin Buu's rip-roaring cry penetrated the air, and he was greeted with the sight of the maniacal beast bursting through the clouds and hurtling towards him at near impossible speeds. He was still as large as ever, parts of his face and skin melted from the numerous explosions that had befallen the heavens. Gohan panicked slightly, as the wicked God shot forwards so fast that the teen was forced to do nothing but dodge out of the way.

Gohan growled in annoyance, aiming a torrent of Ki blasts in rapid fire towards the beast. It seemed to slow down Buu for now, but did no real damage. He had to think! He was certain he was forgetting something. Suddenly, something shiny caught his eye and the young saiyan couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The Z-Sword.

What the bloody hell was that doing here? The blade was still snapped in two, his jagged edge glistening in the light of another one of Buu's rapidly building blasts. Even stranger, it was just _floating_ there in the sky next to him.

But there was no time for questions.

Thinking quickly, Gohan grabbed the hilt of the sword, feeding his energy into the object so that a golden beam of Ki grew where the rest of the blade should have been. The teenager struck Buu's attack with the sword before he realised what he was doing.

A resounding clang echoed around what was left of the heavens, as the two beams connected. The young saiyan struggled against the attack, the hilt vibrating in his palms. Yet Gohan pushed his energy further into the blade, causing Buu's blast to careen off into the distance, exploding in a shower of fuchsia light.

Buu growled, his menacing eyes glancing from the glowing sword, to Gohan, and back again.

"Brat of Kai's," the monster seethed, his muscular arms twitching in agitation, "Buu will win! BUU WILL WIN! BOY WILL SEE! BUU DESTROY YOU!"

Without warning, the ancient beast fired himself towards the teenager, but this time, Gohan was ready. Spinning the hilt of the Z-Sword rapidly in his palm, he struck Majin Buu across the torso, creating bubbling gashes in his enormous chest.

All that training with the relic was certainly worth it, as Buu's energy blasts were parried quickly by the Ki blade, the teenager phasing in and out, striking and swiping through the air at Buu with so much precision and power, that the Majin was quickly beginning to slow down.

 _"Yes! That's it Gohan!"_ The Supreme Kai's voice rang in his head, _"You're doing it! The power of the Z-Sword is too much for Majin Buu! Put as much power as you can into the blade! It does not matter if it is not whole, I'm certain it's godly powers and your combined strength will take him down! It is the way it was prophesied!"_

"HAAAAAAAAAAA!" Gohan roared, jumping high into the air and slicing Buu so rapidly that the gigantic monster couldn't regain enough energy to fight back.

The young saiyan wasn't sure how it was working, but something within the Z-Sword was paralysing Buu. The monster in question was foaming at the mouth, the gargling sound that escaped him was almost satisfying to Gohan, as he sliced the blade clean across his throat.

"That one was for snapping my neck, ugly," he growled, as Majin Buu crumbled, his knees giving way as he floated helplessly in the abyss.

Though, Gohan's victory didn't last long, as Buu started to chuckle, his shoulders shaking with unrelenting mirth as an all out cackle erupted from his lungs. Gohan's eyes widened in horror, as the slices and holes in the beast's body began to reshape, moulding back together so that Buu was as good as knew.

"W-what?" The teenager gaped, the Z-Sword glowing between his palms.

"Stupid boy," Buu chortled, grinning madly at him, "It take more than broken toy to kill Buu. Boy need more power! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Gohan's eyes widened, more power?! But he was at his maximum! Where the bloody hell was he going to get more power fro-

"EEK!" He yelped, deflecting a long fuchsia Ki blade that suddenly erupted from Buu's palm.

"Fun fun!" Buu chortled, the enormous blade bigger than his fist, "Buu like this game!"

"FUCK!" Gohan cried, as the gigantic beam of energy came crashing down upon him again.

The teenager's aura was blinding, rapidly growing as he emitted his full power. Sparks flew between the two titans as the blades connected across the skies, sending tremors not only across the Otherworld, but throughout the entire universe too.

Those on Earth struggled to keep their eyes on the crystal ball, as ripples of enormous energy cascaded through the atmosphere, dispersing the clouds, causing earthquakes to shake the tower of The Lookout along with the cities below. Surrounding planets that had survived the explosion in Otherworld crumbled to dust, HFIL was in complete uproar as the battle waged on.

Gohan bit his lip as he tried to force the monster back, the metallic taste of blood hitting his tongue as a surge of electrifying energy escaped him and cascaded down the blade of the Z-Sword, causing Majin Buu to jump back from the lightening that struck his arm.

The young saiyan growled, his platinum blonde hair picking up in the raging winds as he flew himself towards the beast once more, charging him back with all the energy and strength he could muster.

But it was no use, Majin Buu was enjoying their 'game' too much. His laughter was really starting to grate on the halfling's nerves. An idea coming to mind, Gohan sliced the Z-Sword upwards, the force of the connecting blades forcing Buu back.

The monster was shortly met with an almighty blast to the face, followed by a bone shattering kick to the spine. Buu yelped, as Gohan phased out again, spinning fluidly in the air and aiming his blade towards the beast's chest.

But Buu was too quick, and once again blocked Gohan's attack with his own blade of energy, causing the epic duel to resume.

"Supreme Kai!" The teenager shouted, beads of sweat rolling down his brow as he swiped and sliced the sword, resounding clangs of the blades echoing in his ears, "I can't keep this up for much longer!"

 **SWIPE**

Gohan ducked, as Buu's gigantic beam sliced over his head, "Help!"

" _I-I don't know Gohan!"_ came the Kai's frantic reply, _"You have the power! But somehow, it's just not enough!"_

"Oh you think?!" he shot back angrily, their blades connecting once more.

 **CLANG**

This was ridiculous. He had had a power boost from the Old Kai, a pep talk from his father and Piccolo, even The Supreme Kai! His friends and family were safe, and we're waiting for his impending victory. He had the Z-Sword, whose legend had stated that it could bring about the destruction of the most powerful foes the universe had ever known.

Gohan had even managed to persuade an ancient wizard to put a spell on the bastard to make him weaker! But still, there was no end in sight. No end to this horrific nightmare that had swept terror across the universe.

Just what was it going to take? He needed a sign! Something, anything…

Gohan yelped as he was suddenly fired through the air, the impact of Buu's blade upon his sending tremors throughout his bones. The dark clouds he hurtled through dispersed rapidly as he struggled to a halt, his vision suddenly obscured by a bright white light.

No. Fucking. Way.

His eyes widened, the swirling pure energy of the spirit bomb was right in front of him, still intact and pulsating with life. He couldn't believe he had forgotten about it!

More power Majin Buu had said? Well, he'd show that big pink bastard more power. An idea igniting in his mind, the teenager couldn't help but smirk at his amazing genius. That is, until an aghast shout sounded in his ears.

 _"Gohan, what are you doing?!"_ His father cried, as soon as he floated towards the enormous orb.

Gohan rolled his eyes, "What does it look like? I'm defeating Majin Buu."

 _"But son, you can't use the spirit bomb!"_ Goku shouted frantically.

"And why the bloody hell not?" he shot back angrily, "What did you call dibs on it or something?"

 _"Gohan, only those pure of heart can fire the spirit bomb,"_ he reasoned, _"Babidi was able to get into your mind remember? You're not pure anymore!"_

The teenager sighed heavily, before his eyes hardened, "I have to try."

The desperate shouts of his father were lost on him, as he shut the man completely out of his mind. But that didn't mean that his senses were left completely undisturbed, as Majin Buu's screams rang around him.

Though Gohan refused to budge, and he all but lowered himself slightly so that he was situated just below the spirit bomb, turning to greet the evil destroyer. His onyx eyes narrowed into slits as the manic monster phased in front of him, his large head leering at the young teen.

"Boy give up so soon?" Buu asked devilishly.

"If there's one thing you should know about me by now Majin Buu, is that I don't give up so easily," Gohan glowered, clutching the Z-Sword more tightly.

Buu growled, swiping his fuchsia blade at the halfling.

Gohan took his chance.

At once, the young saiyan jumped high into the air, avoiding the white hot Ki blade by the hair of his tail. He raised the ancient relic above his head, concentrating with all his might on the swirling energies of his family and friends that resided within the spirit bomb. The white glow reflected in the monsters eyes as the energies of Earth fled into the Z-Sword, as Gohan drew on all the power he could muster, creating an enormous glowing blade with Gohan holding it at the hilt.

"Huh?" Buu blinked, before quickly sensing the swirl of great power that the teen held in his grasp, "What?! WHAT BOY DO?! WHAT IS THAT! THIS NOT PART OF GAME! BUU SUPPOSED TO DESTROY YOU!"

"That's just it though isn't Buu? Your biggest weakness I mean," The young saiyan spoke lowly, his aura igniting around him in a blueish flame, electricity surging all over his bruised and bloodied body, "All you know how to do is destroy."

The wicked monster glared at the young man in front of him, though confusion flickered in his fuchsia eyes.

"What I'm saying is that you could have all the power in the universe, destroy as many families, planets, solar systems as you wish," Gohan continued, the silence of the heavens causing his voice to amplify, "But you know something, there is one thing you could never destroy, no matter how much you tried."

"STUPID BOY! BE QUIET!" He roared, though the halfling seemed unfazed by his manic cries, "YOU FIGHT BUU!"

"Don't worry, I don't expect someone like you to understand," Gohan shrugged, his face aglow with the power of the spirit sword, "It's something that we on Earth share as comrades as we battle evil bastards like you. It's something that makes the worst of us turn over a new leaf and I don't know, make a demon king teach a little kid how to fight or make a grumpy old prince settle down and start a family. It's something that I share with my son, my family. Something I have with Videl and my best friend. It was the very thing that made you unable to absorb Gokuto fully, and it's exactly what this sword holds from all the spirits and energy of Earth. And it's something you, Majin Buu, will never have."

"WHAT?!" Buu cried, "WHAT BOY SAYING?!"

Slowly, the teenager smirked, "It's love Buu. Love."

The ancient being was infuriated, his power exploding with fury and hatred. His enormous body shook, his veins pulsated, struggling to break free of his vibrant skin that stretched over his bulging muscles. Then, he threw his head back, hot steam exploding from the steam holes in his head as he roared to the heavens.

"BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Gohan sighed hopelessly, "You need to find yourself a girl mate."

"FOOL!" Buu roared, raising his fist high into the air and bringing it down upon the halfling with enough force to completely squash him on impact.

Though, for Gohan, the hit did not come. And Majin Buu was only met with crippling pain that racked his entire body. He looked down hopelessly, only to find that the young saiyan had phased out in the blink of an eye, and had driven the spirit sword right through his chest, piercing the centre of his blackened heart.

"Too bad you'll never get the chance," came Gohan's smug voice.

Blood poured rapidly from the Majin's mouth as he choked, looking towards the halfling in utter disbelief.

"I mean, not that anyone in their right mind would want to shag you anyway," the teenager continued, his brow furrowing in thought, "Then again, I used to know this one girl that was into rubber…"

 _"GOHAN!"_

"Oh alright, alright!" Gohan said, rolling his eyes as the collective shout of his family and friends echoed in his mind.

The young saiyan smirked at the horror struck look on Majin Buu's face, one hand still holding onto the hilt of the Z-Sword, whilst he raised the other in mock solute.

"Well, I would say it's been a pleasure Majin Buu, but you know, you _did_ murder me and nick off with my kid, so you know, this was inevitable really," said Gohan, as Buu's throat began to fill with blood.

With that, the teenager withdraw the sword from the monster's chest, causing him to double over in pain. Dark purple blood flowed unforgivingly from the wound, though Gohan payed no mind to Buu's forthcoming shrieks of agony.

Instead, the young saiyan powered up as high as his Ki would go, raising the shining relic high above his head and connecting the blade with Buu's skull. Then, in one fowl swoop, did the teen slice clean through the monster's enormous body, the spirit bomb within the blade feeding into his flesh and exploding in a shower of incredible light.

Though Gohan knew he couldn't stop there, there was too much at risk if the beast were to have any chance of survival. He tucked the jagged dagger of the Z-Sword into the shoulder of his bodice, and with his tail flickering behind him, did he cup his hands together in a familiar stance.

"KA…MEH…HA….MEH…!"

He could still hear the monster's mangled screams, the spirit bomb disintegrating his flesh with every passing moment. But Gohan needed to go one step further, he would make sure this beast was dead, he would not make anymore mistakes!

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The blue wave erupted from his palms connecting forcefully with the swirl of light of the energies of earth, almost dwarfing it in size from the amount of raw power that Gohan pushed into it.

The skies grew even darker beneath his feet as the young saiyan continued to push on. He could feel the strain in his bones and muscles, pain rippled through his chest and stabbed at his heart. His scarred arm aching considerably, shooting pains running from shoulder tip to wrist. His lungs were burning from exhaustion, the strains of battle finally taking hold. Gohan gasped, his mind beginning to cloud as Buu's manic screams did not subside.

 _I CAN FEEL YOU SLIPPING!_

The teenager growled, ignoring the haunting memories as the dark clouds around him started to swirl, bolts of lightening snapping and ripping across the entire heavens. He wasn't sure just how much longer he could hold on for, but he would die before he let Buu walk away.

 _That's it Gohan! Release Everything! Remember all the people he's hurt, the pain he's caused… NOW MAKE THAT YOUR POWER!_

His aura grew, the Gold Fighter cape snapping off his bodice and disintegrating in the hot Ki, his tail thrashed around him wildly, his palms quivering as he pushed further and further, towards the deepest point of his new found power.

Something niggled at the back of his mind, a sudden warmth filled him, his head filling with the voices of his loved ones.

 _"Daddy!"_

 _"Gohan!"_

 _"Come on kid!"_

 _"Damn it brat! Don't give up now!"_

He wasn't entirely sure if they were real or not. But that didn't matter, as then, it was as if somebody had ignited a spark, and Gohan's Kamehameha wave grew even bigger in size. So big even, that Majin Buu could no longer withstand it.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Buu shrieked, his fuchsia aura crackling madly through the light as he tried to regenerate parts of his disintegrating body. He was loosing control, his power no longer a match for Gohan's.

 _Now's your chance!_

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The ancient monster could take no more, the pure energy ripped through his very being, as Gohan gave one final push of his power.

The young saiyan roared as his opponent screamed, the monster's evil energy dwindling, faster and faster, until the blast shot through the space where Majin Buu had taken his final breath, flying off into the far reaches of the heavens, lightening up the dark sky as it streaked through the clouds.

Gohan panted, his aching arms coming to rest by his sides. His brain was fuzzy, but he couldn't tell if it was due to all the voices and memories in his head or the crippling exhaustion that had suddenly overcome him. His muscles groaned in protest, his bones shuddered, taking his memories back to a battle he had fought seven long years ago.

But this time, when he collapsed, falling backwards through the skies, his body worn and aching from battle, his father was there to catch him.

 _So what did you guys think? I am very happy with how this turned out! For those of you who think its a bit of a rip ff from Super, well there is some truth to that! Even before the whole Goku Black arc was a thing, I wanted to have Gohan use the Z-Sword to defeat Majin Buu and do a ki blade thingy. I felt like there was so much time and energy wasted on the z-sword that went without explanation and didnt make itself useful. I love Gohan having a sword, to be it makes him more badass. But then I had the spirit bomb, and originally I was going to have both Goku and Gohan defeat Buu - Goku throwing the spirit bomb whilst Gohan knocks it to Buu and then fires a devastating Kamehameha to end it once and for all. I did feel as though this was a bit of a cop out, and I really wanted Gohan to defeat Buu on his own, defeat his demons (mostly) and have the official passing of the torch from father to son. And then, well, Super happened and the spirit sword looked sooooooo freaking cool. So hey, sue me, its fan fiction! Hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did writing it :) Oh and massive Kudos to whoever figured out who the voice was talking to Gokuto ;) xx_


	44. Victory

**Chapter Forty-Three**

 **Victory**

The first thing that Gohan noticed, was something very wet and slimy swiping across the side of his face. The second thing, was that something incredibly heavy was resting on his chest, though he couldn't tell if that was the cause of the rest of his body aching considerably. The teenager grumbled as more wetness hit his cheek, forcing him to creak open his eyelids only to be greeted by a large pair of pale green eyes.

"Icarus!" Gohan cried, shock and relief flooding him all at once. He shot up, ignoring his limbs groaning in protest and wrapping his arms over the dragon's enormous head, "Great Kami am I glad to see you boy, but what are you doing here?"

Icarus purred, soaking him again with his giant tongue. The halfling couldn't stop the laughter that escaped his chest, as a voice sounded from behind him.

"He's quite protective that dragon of yours, barely let anyone near you since you got here."

Gohan turned, smiling at his mentor who leaned against the wall opposite him, giving him an amused look.

It was then that Gohan realised just where he was. He blinked, noticing the stone marble floors and ceilings, with Mister Popo's beautiful plants and paintings adorning the walls. The teenager was currently lying in a four poster bed, his Gold Fighter costume torn horribly in several places, most of the bodice disintegrated, exposing his muscular chest and right shoulder. He reasoned that someone must have given him a senzu bean at some point, as he found all his battle wounds healed, his body more or less restored to full power.

"What happened Piccolo?" the teenager suddenly frowned, panic rising in his chest, "How did I get here?! Where's Buu?! Where's Dad? Where's _'Kuto_?!"

"Take it easy Gohan," Piccolo soothed, starting up from his position and easing the halfling back onto the soft feather pillows, "Your father is with the Kai's tidying a few things up in Otherworld. As for Gokuto, he's outside with the other's, Goku brought you here via instant transmission after you passed out. It took both Dende and a few senzu beans to heal you up. I suppose defeating Majin Buu took a lot out of you, didn't it?"

The teenager couldn't help but smile, scratching Icarus behind the horns and causing him to purr.

"You did good kid," said Piccolo, his lips quirking into a prideful smile.

Gohan beamed back, relived that it was finally over. He couldn't wait to see everyone again, though there was a certain little saiyan he wanted to see more than anyone else.

"Piccolo, can you get Gokuto?" he asked hopefully, his heart aching.

His mentor smirked, "I think its too late for that, he's already sensed you're awake."

 **BOOM!**

The bedroom door suddenly burst off his hinges, the wood splintering all over the marble titles. Icarus abruptly lifted his head up from Gohan's stomach in defence, yet he settled quickly, his tail beginning to wag furiously as a black blur fired itself through the air and latched itself to Gohan's chest.

"DADDY!"

"Bloody hell 'Kuto!" The teenager laughed, still not quite used to his son's new found strength.

What he did against Majin Buu was nothing short of incredible, and now he could finally all let it sink in. Gohan coughed, as duck feather's exploded from the pillows around them form the force, though the little saiyan didn't seem to notice, his emerald eyes sparkling brightly as he gave him the widest grin he could muster.

"You did it Daddy! You did it!" Gokuto cried, "You beats the monster! You beated him up rweally rweally bad!"

The sound of the commotion must have notified the Z-gang to Gohan's state of alertness, as at once, his bedroom was filled with the beaming faces of his friends and family. Hands clapped him on the back and fingers ruffled his hair, the sound of laughter ringing in the air as the young saiyan was embraced numerous times over.

Goten, Trunks, Bulla and Marron cheered loudly as they bounced about his bed in celebration.

"Yeah! Not even Majin Buu can defeat The Gold Fighter!"

"My big brother is the bestest in the whole wide universe!"

"Gohan! Gohan!"

"Get _off_ of the bed this instant!" His mother scolded, though she failed to hide the enormous smile from gracing her features, "Goodness gracious, he'll need another senzu bean at this rate! Goten, you should know better, your brother needs to rest!"

"Sorry Mum," Goten pouted, sitting down next to the teen and snuggling into the covers obediently.

Gohan grinned at his little brother, ruffling his messy spikes in comfort, "Don't worry Mum, I'm fine!"

"You are _not_ fine Son Gohan," she huffed, glaring playfully at him, "You may have saved the universe but it does not give you the excuse of defying your mother, now you will stay in that bed until you are fully healed. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," he smiled, as the room erupted with laughter.

Gohan laughed along with them, that is, until he noticed Videl and her father standing a ways off, both looking a little apprehensive. The teenager stopped short, his throat running dry as he caught her beautiful sapphire eyes with his. Her clothes were still torn, and she looked as though she had been through an awful lot before getting a senzu bean. He was about to call her over, or in fact will his legs to move so that he could run over and kiss her absolutely senseless when a smooth calming voice spoke over the commotion -

"I believe congratulations are in order Gohan," The Supreme Kai smiled widely, causing everyone to stop in their cheer.

His father, Kibito and the Old Kai accompanied him, all grinning at him madly.

"I must say young one, it was a fascinating feat to behold," he continued, "We could feel the battle across the dimensions from all the way here on Earth. I wouldn't put it past the entire universe to have felt it in fact."

"Really?" The teenager blinked.

"Oh yes," The Kai chuckled lightly, "I believe several of the warriors of The Grand Kai's planet wanted the autograph of the Slayer of Majin Buu, not to mention the various inhabitants of planets that were able to watch the fight via crystal ball. I believe your Gold Fighter alias has caused quite the stir across the galaxies."

Gohan couldn't help but blush, as the Z-gang snorted with laughter.

"So where are the warriors now?" the young saiyan asked, "Didn't Dad bring them to Earth?"

"Ah, yes of course, you wouldn't know as you have been unconscious for several hours," Shin explained brightly, "It has taken a while, but the heavens have finally been restored, as I have been able to recreate them. The warriors and my fellow Kai's have returned to their homes, Snake-Way is restored and King Yemma is back at his rightful place at the check in station thanks to your dragonballs here on Earth. Unfortunately Gohan, as I'm sure you are aware, even though we asked Shenron to restore all the lives that Majin Buu had taken, he could not bring back the souls lost in Otherworld."

"I understand," said Gohan, his eyes averting to his hands.

"Though I'm sure you will somewhat pleased to know that the majority of Earth's population made it back, as they had passed through the check in station before Buu had the chance to destroy them."

The teenager didn't reply, forcing the Kai to continue, "Do not blame yourself Gohan, you achieved something incredible today, something that no one in the entire history of the universe has managed to do before. You should be very proud of yourself."

"That reminds me," Vegeta's voice suddenly cut through the tension, "How was it that Gohan was able to manipulate the spirit bomb? Like Kakarot said, only a person pure of heart is able to fire it. I thought you made it clear that the boy was not pure anymore."

Shin smiled knowingly, as Goku practically beamed next to him, "An excellent question Vegeta, for which I can provide a very simple answer. You see Gohan, as you quite rightly put to Majin Buu, the overwhelming love you have for your family and friends overcame the regret and anguish in your heart. You are, although a little rough around the edges, as pure as the day you were born."

Gohan smiled, though a little embarrassed as everyone turned to look at him with amused and happy grins, "Wow really? Well that's good to know, I suppose."

"And as for the extraordinary power you wield Gohan," the deity continued, "Do not concern yourself with how or why it came to be. Those best suited to power are those who have never sought it after all, and in the end, Majin Buu was no match for you."

"Thank you, Supreme Kai," he said wholeheartedly.

"You're most welcome," he replied, "though that is not what I am here to discuss with you, I believe that there are other matters to address before you all celebrate your victory."

"Oh?" the young saiyan quirked, "Like what?"

"I believe that you still have two more wishes left to make on the Namekian dragonballs, as we have managed to repair the damage caused by Buu with Shenron," he informed him, "Dende is on Namek once more awaiting our command, though Goku and I have discussed the matter of the Earthling's, and have come to an agreement that it is within their best interests to wipe the memory of Majin Buu and what happened at the tournament from their minds. The only ones that will know what truly happened on Earth today are standing here before you."

The teen bit his lip in thought, "Yeah, I suppose that makes sense, I think the world has only just got used to having a superhero, I don't think they're ready for us to explain the rest just yet."

"A wise choice," The Supreme Kai smiled, "But there is no guarantee that the Earthling's will not remember your transformation during your match against Kibito, meaning your secret identity may still be exposed to the public."

"I just beat Majin Buu the Destroyer didn't I? I think I can handle a few rabid fangirls," he smirked.

His mother and Bulma scoffed.

"As you wish Gohan," The Kai chuckled, casting his gaze up towards the ceiling, "Dende? Did you hear that?"

 _"Loud and clear Sir!"_ Dende's elated voice chimed from above, _"Porunga do your thing!"_

A thunderous growl echoed around them, as Porunga granted their wish. All at once, the teenager felt a sudden calm over the Earth, peace had finally returned to their humble planet.

"Gohan," The Supreme Kai said with a knowing smile, "There is just one more wish, and I think that, as our saviour, it should be yours and yours alone. As a thank you for what you've done, we are indebted to you after all."

The teenager blinked in surprise, before he bit his lip in thought, what could he wish for?

His friends were all looking at him in anticipation. Gohan's onyx eyes scanned them, until he met a pair of turquoise eyes that had once again become deadened. Lime was stood next to her grandfather, confusion gracing her pretty features as she stared blankly at the scene in front of her.

He frowned deeply, he had wondered why his best friend hadn't come to greet him of all people. Still, The Supreme Kai had said he had been out cold for a few hours, maybe the affects of the Kai's sacred realm had finally worn off?

Sadness pooled within him once more, an idea forming in his mind. He didn't think he was being selfish. He had moved on, but she couldn't. Lime was stuck in an empty void, unable to live her life like him now that Buu was gone. And then there was Gokuto, his little boy needed his mother. How would he even begin to explain to him that Lime couldn't talk to him again?

He sighed, clutching Gokuto a little more tightly to him, it was definitely worth a shot, "Dende, can you ask Porunga if he can heal Lime?"

 _"I can try Gohan…"_ the young Namekian said in understanding, the occupants of the temple waiting with baited breath, _"Porunga, please heal the injuries of Lime Lao, so that she can live a full and happy life!"_

Silence, as the dragon pondered.

 _"That is far beyond my power. The one named Lime Lao has been crippled by natural causes. She chose her son's life over that of her own, her sacrifice resulted in a fatal accident that cannot be undone. Choose another wish."_

Gohan's heart sank, as his mother placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You tried your best sweetheart," she said sadly, giving his shoulder a squeeze.

"Gohan, do you have another wish?" The Kai asked tentatively.

The teenager shook his head, he couldn't think of anything else off the top of his head.

"Well then, there's only one thing for it."

Gohan cocked his head in confusion as his father spoke, smiling at them all like a madman.

"Hey Dende!" Goku shouted to the skies, "Ask Porunga to bring me back to life!"

The teenager gaped, as everyone around him gasped, tears in their eyes. Piccolo and Vegeta exchanged a worried glance as his mother began to sob, grasping onto Goten as the boy beamed from ear to ear. Dende squeaked in delight as the eternal dragon growled in affirmation. A sudden glow surrounded his father, his skin darkening ever so slightly as the light began to fade, his halo disappearing completely from the top of his hair.

Gohan gingerly stood, placing a confused looking Gokuto amongst the pillows and clambering out of bed as the Z-gang ran to embrace his father.

"Wow you lot, did you cry this much when I died?!" Goku chortled, as Krillin allowed the happy tears to spill from his eyes.

"Hey, Dad?" said Gohan, drawing the beaming man's attention.

"Yes son?"

 **THWACK!**

"GOHAN!" His mother shrieked, as his father was knocked flying through the bedroom wall.

The entire gang were reeling from shock as the saiyan warrior hit the adjacent wall of the corridor, leaving a sizeable path of destruction in his wake.

Huh, Vegeta was right. That did make him feel better.

Goku stared at him in alarm, clutching his reddening jaw as the teenager approached him, towering above the man before his onyx eyes softened. Slowly, Gohan held out a hand for him to take, his lips quirking into a small smile.

His father, a little hesitant at first, smiled back, taking Gohan's outstretched palm and allowing the young saiyan to help him back to his feet. The Z-gang had spilled out into the corridor, their eyes fixated on the scene as suddenly, the teenager engulfed his father in an enormous hug.

Still a little startled, Goku chuckled nervously, before wrapping his strong arms around the halfling, resting his chin on his head as he held him tightly to him.

"Never fucking die on me again," said Gohan, closing his eyes tightly shut as he held on to the man for dear life.

Goku smiled, "I promise."

"Well that was a little intense," Krillin coughed loudly through the stunned silence, causing the pair to cease in their embrace, "Are you two alright?"

"Give me a second," the teenager quipped, fishing out a spare cigarette hidden in his bodice before lighting it and taking a long…long… drag.

"Oh nicotine how I have missed you," Gohan breathed, the wisps of smoke filtering into the air.

The others exchanged an odd look.

"Well then, I suppose we should be going," Mister Lao finally spoke, "Lime is looking a little tired."

"Of course," Chi-Chi nodded in understanding, "It's been a long day for you both, I'll get Gohan to bring the baby by tomorrow so she can see him."

"There's no rush," the old man smiled in kind, "I think Gohan of all people deserves a rest."

"We should go too," Mister Satan said boldly, clearing his throat, "I don't want to intrude."

"You're not intruding," smiled Bulma, "We're all going to have something to eat soon before we get the party started, why don't you join us?"

Mister Satan blinked, before giving them an enormous smile, "You're all very kind, but no doubt the press will want to interrogate me regarding the outcome of the tournament."

"Then I'll take you all back then," his father offered, "Can't keep your adoring fans waiting now can we Champ?"

The hulk of a man blushed to the roots of his hair, "Oh er, thank you Goku. Are you ready to go Videl? Videl? VI-DEL?"

The Satan girl jumped, tearing her eyes away from Gohan, "Oh yeah, yeah I'm ready, sorry Dad."

"Let's go then," smiled Goku, "Hold on to Lime tight Mister Lao."

And with a sudden whoosh, all five of them disappeared.

His father returned some minutes later alone, still with a beaming smile and an empty stomach. Mister Popo, his mother and Launch soon cooked up a storm, laying on a magnificent feast for the gang. Bulma had even gotten Goku to fetch her Capsule Corp.'s largest speaker system, so that music pumped heavily over The Lookout.

Gohan couldn't fathom just how Piccolo had allowed it, though he presumed that due to the circumstances, he had let it slide just this once.

The victory party was in full swing, beer flowed freely from the barrels that Korin and Yajirobe had provided, and even the Kai's and Dende permitted themselves to have a small tipple. Gohan had finally managed to convince his mother that he wasn't about to keel over so that he could join in on the festivities, but he didn't really feel like getting drunk along with the rest of them. Gokuto had fallen to sleep not long after he had eaten his body weight in cake, and Gohan had put him to bed in one of the chambers along with the rest of the kids.

Now the teenager had broken away from the group, sitting on the edge of The Lookout with his feet dangling over the edge. He lazily smoked another cigarette, watching the stars slowly come out as the sky steadily darkened.

It was unbelievably peaceful, he thought, as he caught the first sign of starlight winking at him in the distance. The sounds of the raucous Z-gang echoed over the marble tiles, along with the steady beat of music. Though Gohan paid them no mind, and he was thankful that none of them had come out of the temple to look for him, he supposed they realised he needed a bit of time to mull everything over.

Something sharp suddenly poked him in the chest as he leaned forwards, causing him to frown. His eyes widened, as he plucked the offending object from his bodice, having not even realised that the weight of the Z-Sword had been hidden in his torn costume all that time - then again, he was still so exhausted he hadn't even bothered to get changed.

He twirled the blade around in his palms, brushing the broken jagged edge carefully with his fingertips. He briefly wondered if he should tell The Supreme Kai that he still had it, Kibito would no doubt be furious that a mortal such as he was harbouring a powerful weapon of the Gods.

Then again, he mused, he _did_ use it to finally defeat Buu. Nah, Shin wouldn't mind if he kept it has some sort of souvenir. Who knows? It might prove handy at some point in the future.

He sighed, as the cool night air suddenly brushed through his platinum blonde hair.

He couldn't believe that they were finally safe, finally rid of the monster that had terrorised them over the past twenty-four hours. It had been a long day, so much had happened it was almost inconceivable to think that he had been killed, lost his son, found him, destroyed the most terrifying monster in the universe's existence and come back to life all in the matter of a day.

His mind was positively whirring. His father was back in his life, for good this time. His son was safe, and the Z-Fighters were happy and alive.

So what was irking him so much?

Was it Lime? Devastated was a far cry from how he felt about her injuries and how she couldn't be healed from them. It was like he had gone back in time when he had seen her on the Kai's planet. She, along with Videl had helped him find Gokuto, and it was heartwarming to see Gokuto interact with her and she with him.

Lime had been right all along about his power, love was the key to it. She seemed to know him better than most. She was still his best friend, seizing life by the horns in that passionate carefree manner that he knew and loved. She had always wanted him to be as reckless as her, throwing caution to the wind as it were. But he was never quite as brave, never quite as bold, and he had faced off against the most terrifying enemies in the universe!

He snorted in amusement, he couldn't believe she had actually _snogged_ that old codger.

He had thought he had come to terms with her situation long ago, yet the only thing he could do was cling to the hope that she would regain part of her memories once again.

 _"You're really thick, you know that right?"_

The teenager jumped, as his best friend's voice suddenly echoed around in his mind.

"Lime?" he gasped, unsure if he was going completely mental.

" _Do me a favour and stop pining over me for Kami's sake, Videl will never go out with you if you don't buck your ideas up!"_

"Is this really happening?" Gohan gaped, looking around him, this had to be some sort of trick.

 _"Of course it's not stupid, I can't talk remember? Let's just call it your conscience!"_ She said with an air of amusement, _"Well, either that or some of the Kai's weird ass magical planet juice is still having an effect."_

"Lime!" the halfling cried, unable to decide whether he was elated or angry, "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

 _"I know! I can talk to you through your miiiiiiind, well at least for a bit longer anyway. Spooky."_

"How did you manage to do that?" he asked, surprised.

 _"Dunno, I was just lying here in bed when I had this sudden image of you looking all glum pop up in my mind,"_ she explained nonchalantly, _"So I decided to have a poke about in your head… you are fucked up my friend."_

Gohan sighed, "You're telling me."

 _"So?"_ She asked haughtily, _"What the bloody hell are you waiting for?"_

"What do you mean?" he frowned.

 _"Great Kami do I have to spell it out for you?! V.I.D.E.L. The sexual tension between you two on that planet was almost too much to bare! Are you going to get the girl or what?"_

"But Lime, its complicated-"

 _"It's only complicated because you're making it so,"_ The red head tutted, " _I saw the look on her face when her dad made her leave earlier, she wanted you to talk to her, to pick her up and snog her face off in a swirl of romance! Ugh, boys are so dense."_

"I don't know-"

 _"What the hell are you scared of?"_ She fumed, and Gohan could almost imagine her rolling her eyes at him, _"Look, if this has anything to do with me, then you should stop beating yourself up right this instant! I'm fine Gohan, really. When are you going to stop feeling sorry for what happened between us? Think of Gokuto, without everything, we wouldn't have him now would we eh?"_

"I know, you're right," he sighed heavily, still battling his feelings.

 _"And besides, I don't know why you're acting so worried,"_ Lime scoffed, _"You said it yourself, you beat Majin Buu. I'm sure you can handle a girl."_

Gohan paused in thought.

 _"It's how every good superhero story goes,"_ she reasoned, her whimsical tone echoing around him, _"You've already defeated the monster, I think you know what the next step is."_

And then she was gone. Whatever effect the Kai's sacred realm had on her mind had finally been severed, and Gohan was sat on the cool marble titles, alone again.

Slowly the teenager allowed a smile to play on his lips, his veins beginning to pump with adrenaline with the echo of his best friend's voice ringing in his ears.

Lime was right, he knew what he had to do.

He was going to get the girl.

"Mum!" Gohan yelled suddenly, tucking the Z-Sword into his bodice and jumping to his feet.

Skidding into the temple, he realised that his sudden shout had caused the entire gang to look towards him in alarm. Conversations had halted, and not a soul was dancing to the music. Krillin and Yamcha eyed him from where they were clutching their beakers of beer, Piccolo, Vegeta and his father abruptly got to their feet, ready to take on any attacker.

"Gohan, what's wrong?" Piccolo said lowly, realising that there was no immediate danger.

Gohan ignored him, looking towards his mother who was sat at one of the tables, "Can you keep an eye on Gokuto for a bit?"

Chi-Chi blinked, as Eighteen and Bulma exchanged a confused look behind her, "Well of course, but where on Earth-?

The teenager grinned wickedly, pressing the button on his wrist watch so that his torn and tattered costume was replaced with a brand new one. A new black and sliver cape fluttered down to his feet as his shiny visor slipped over his eyes.

He would have to thank Bulma later for her genius, who knew that a back up outfit would come in handy one day?

His white aura erupted around him, his dyed golden hair waving in the breeze that suddenly engulfed the room. The gang had to shield their eyes from the ripple of raw power that emitted from the halfling that swept over them.

"There's something I need to do," he stated, still grinning as he sped from the room, sprinting back to the edge of The Lookout and kicked off, diving with rapid speeds to the Earth below.

Gohan ignored the aghast calls of the Z-gang above, a sonic boom echoing over the vast landscape as he sped away from Korin's Tower.

It didn't take him long to reach Satan City due to his incredible power boost, and soon enough he caught sight of the tall stone structure of Satan Mansion. Light shone from Videl's bedroom window and pooled out over the balcony where he landed, his boots touching the stone platform with a soft tap.

Drawing in a deep breath, the teenager rapped his gloved knuckles on the window pane, careful not to wake her father, though he could feel Mister Satan's Ki pulsating away at the other side of the building.

Gohan didn't have to wait long, as he was suddenly greeted by Videl's fierce sapphire eyes as she drew back the curtains. Her mouth hung open in shock before a deep frown appeared upon her features as she clasped sight of his outfit. Slowly, she opened the window and stepped outside in nothing but her cotton pyjamas, her hair loose around her shoulders. She had obviously taken a shower, her soft ivory skin now free of any dirt and battle filth.

"What on earth are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes darting about his frame.

"I never did get the chance to give you an apology," said Gohan with a small smile, gesturing to himself, "I owe you one."

Videl folded her arms across her chest, an amused smile tugging at her lips, "Yes, I suppose you do."

Throwing caution to the wind, the young saiyan drew in a sharp intake of breath, "Look Videl, I'm really sorry alright? For leaving you that night, for lying to you at the tournament, dragging you into all this mess and just- just everything."

Videl stared at him, but said nothing, her expression suddenly becoming stoic.

"I am sorry," Gohan continued, his voice lowering, "I just never expected things to turn out this way, I honestly didn't know how I felt about you after that night. I was a coward, I couldn't bring myself to tell you the truth about me, and what with the tournament and Buu. I never expected - You make me feel - just today has made me realise - how stupid I've been. I'm an idiot. And Videl, I need to tell you that I think I - no I _know_ I -"

He was rambling, embarrassingly so, his arms flailing everywhere as he struggled to look her in the eye. He shook himself mentally, before uttering the words he had wanted to say ever since he had first seen her again at the tournament, "I bloody love you Videl, alright?!"

Silence greeted him, and Gohan was about to bottle it and head back to The Lookout with his tail in between his legs when -

"I love you too."

Gohan's eyes snapped towards her, not quite certain if he had heard her correctly. Yet Videl was indeed moving closer towards him, smiling, her eyes shining with emotion.

"Y-You do?" he asked numbly, causing the girl to roll her eyes.

"Of course I do, you prat," she laughed, "There's not many boys I'd fight evil ancient alien monsters with you know."

His heart practically soared, as she threw her arms around his neck. The soft cotton of her pyjama's brushed against his tight bodice, and Gohan couldn't keep his eyes off her.

The young saiyan chuckled lightly, encircling her waist with his arms, his stomach performing somersaults, "You did hit him pretty hard when I first came back to Earth to fight him, had it been anyone else, I'm sure you would have rearranged his face with that kick."

"You're full of it," Videl scoffed, "I was no match for Majin Buu."

Gohan shrugged, smirking at her, "Maybe not, but it was still remarkably sexy."

He was rewarded with a sharp smack on the chest, though the girl was still grinning in amusement, "You pig."

The teenager smiled, nuzzling her nose with his, "You're really something else, you know that?"

"As are you," she replied, arching an eyebrow, "All that stuff that The Supreme Kai was saying. Saiyan's, aliens, magical monsters, legendary swords… It's absolutely crazy. A year ago I never would have believed it, but you changed that and I saw it all with my own eyes. Though it still feels like a dream, you saved the world Gohan, no - the _universe_."

Gohan smiled cockily, "It's what I do."

Videl sighed, resting her head on his chest, "I still can't believe my dad lied to everyone. To me. It's like there's a whole other world out there that I knew nothing about."

"Hey," the young saiyan spoke tenderly, lifting her chin with his finger so that she was staring up at him, "Don't be too hard on your dad. He's not that bad of a bloke really. I know he was your hero, but so was mine. Not all hero's are perfect."

Her lips quirked upwards, "You'd know all about that, wouldn't you Gold Fighter?"

He smiled back, relishing in the way his strong arms encompassed her.

"So," said Gohan finally, "Are you certain you're ready to get into this mess? It gets pretty weird."

Videl scoffed, "I've been in this mess longer than you think, my whole life got weird the second you landed in my city."

"Sorry about that," he laughed.

"Oh hush," she scolded, her sapphire eyes sparkling, "Now, how's about you hurry up and take off that silly mask so I can see you."

With a wicked grin, Gohan pressed the button on the side of his head piece, his onyx eyes connecting with hers as the visor disappeared. His black and silver cape picked up in the gentle breeze that suddenly encompass them, though the Satan girl didn't shiver in the cool wind, Gohan's muscular arms providing all the warmth she needed.

Videl Satan stared at him, a triumphant smile spreading across her lips, "Gotcha."

At her words, the young saiyan leaned forwards, dipping his head low and capturing her lips with his.

The last remains of Jupiter flew across the atmosphere, creating a barrage of shooting stars overhead. The Kai's must have forgotten about recreating that planet somehow, but it wasn't as though there was any life on it. Though, despite this, the two teenagers didn't break apart to look up, as in that moment, nothing else mattered in this crazy, ridiculous world they lived in but each other.

Many wishes had been granted and fulfilled that day, but not just those created by the Eternal Dragon's. The world would rest easy tonight, and celebrate Mister Satan's victory over the World Tournament as they were meant to. The excitement over the revelation of The Gold Fighter's true identity would soon be stifled by Mister Satan's close links with the paparazzi, which Gohan and his family would be truly grateful for.

But that didn't mean that the Earth would loose its protectors. Oh no, there were still those who would provide a vigil for the planet, who were prepared to step up to any threat that would dare to come their way. But peace was now upon them, in a way that felt unfamiliar to Gohan as he pulled Videl tighter against him, deepening the kiss.

Still, he supposed he would get used to it. After all, this was a pretty good start.

xxxx

"See, I told you he was fine," Krillin grinned wickedly, as they watched the scene from The Lookout.

"Phew," Goku sweated, wiping his brow with the back of his hand, "I nearly had a heart attack when he just flew off like that!"

"You'll get used to it," said Vegeta.

"I still can't believe he hit you Goku," Yamcha called, "What a punch!"

"Yeah," the saiyan chuckled nervously, absentmindedly rubbing his bruised jaw, "He caught me a little off guard."

"Off guard indeed," Vegeta scoffed, "If he hadn't had done it, I would have."

"Hey!"

"Oh I'm so glad my baby's finally happy!" Chi-Chi gushed, her onyx eyes sparkling as she surveyed the little scene below.

"Saving the universe and getting a girlfriend in the same day?" Bulma grinned, "What a guy."

"It's so romantic!" cried a blue haired Launch.

Piccolo couldn't help but smile as the gang continued to babble excitedly, he didn't blame them, he was immensely proud of the kid. It was good to see him truly happy again.

What a wild seven years.

Suddenly, his large ears twitched, sensing a presence hovering close to where the children were sleeping inside the temple. Checking that the Z-Fighter's were well and truly occupied, the strong Namekian made his way quietly inside, careful to lower his Ki as he approached one of the master bedrooms.

Opening the oak door carefully, he didn't see anything untoward. Bulla and Marron were sleeping peacefully, curled up underneath the cotton sheets. The boys were in the bed next to them, though Trunks and Goten were stuck out at odd angles, Goku's youngest son was splayed out like a starfish, his foot stuck in a snoring Trunks' mouth whilst he snoozed. Gokuto, lay in the middle of the two boys, his chest rising and falling in a peaceful motion, looking so much like a younger version of his father.

There was a small creak behind him, which caused Piccolo to rapidly spin on his heel.

"Supreme Kai?" he sighed in relief, catching sight of the purple-skinned deity, "What are you doing here? Forgive me, I thought you had already left with Kibito and the Grand Elder."

But the Kai didn't answer his question, instead, he stepped out into the twilight that streamed through the widow pane, a haunted look in his eyes.

"Piccolo, I have a matter to discuss with you that is of great importance and urgency."

Piccolo blinked, an uneasy feeling overcoming him. He hoped he wasn't going to reveal that Majin Buu had a twin brother or something.

"Please don't fret my friend," The Supreme Kai soothed, reading his thoughts, "I assure you that Gohan has destroyed all that was left of Majin Buu, you needn't worry about that."

The Namek sighed in relief, "Then what's this about?"

The Kai paused for a moment, "You know of the legend of the first super saiyan?"

"I was there when you told us of the story," Piccolo frowned, "Though Vegeta filled us in on the other minor details earlier."

"Ah, but I'm afraid that those details are not minor at all," Shin confessed, his eyes boring into his, "I was a little confused earlier, when my Elder urged me to tell the story of how the super saiyan came to be destroyed. I think he was hoping that someone would pick up on it, he is one who likes to relish in the drama after all. You remember me telling you that during the saiyan's transformation that he drew out Bibidi's magic powers? Good. Then I'm sure you remember that the super saiyan, in a much more primitive form that you know them today, became even more powerful from the evil magic that began to corse through his veins."

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Piccolo, confused.

"There are rumours," The Kai explained in a serious tone, "Rumours that I have refused to acknowledge for thousands of years."

"What rumours?" he asked again, starting to get a little irritated.

"There are rumours that somehow, after the super saiyan was destroyed by my fellow Gods, that his soul was held in a place similar to what you know as purgatory, waiting. Waiting for a time when a boy would be born of saiyan blood and another weaker species. The saiyan blood had to be so diluted that it would be enough to stifle the Majin magic within the soul," he continued, "His heart had to be pure in order to contain the evil within. Yet the saiyan race have not been as fruitful over the centuries, falling into the clutches of anger and rage after being victimised by tyranny. Such is the way of the universe, though there has been no knowledge of any saiyan hybrid being born beforehand, such a proud race as they were," the Kai sighed, "Which is why the super saiyan's soul has been trapped, until very recently."

Piccolo stared, following the deity's gaze to one of the beds behind him. He gasped, "Surely you don't mean-"

"One quarter saiyan, and three quarters human," The Supreme Kai said solemnly, "A remarkably rare combination. I had my suspicions from when I first saw the boy; the green eyes of the super saiyan, the magic of the Majin and the power of the Gods. Dominant blood of a human, with a trace of saiyan. Judging by the remarkable power his father wields, it is almost fitting that he could only be born to someone like Gohan - a powerful saiyan hybrid. At first, I had my suspicions that Gohan was the one that the super saiyan soul resided in, but alas his power is different, born from rage and grief, an enormous power in it's own right. That's right Piccolo, Son Gokuto _is_ the reincarnation of the original super saiyan. I am sure of it."

"Shouldn't you be telling Gohan this of all people?" Piccolo started, astounded at the sudden revelation.

There was no way, no way the little boy could be blessed with such gastronomical power. Then again, Gokuto was certainly powerful, he always had been. But that's just because he had Gohan's blood, wasn't it?

Shin sighed once more, "I am sure you already know the answer to that Piccolo. I'm afraid that Gohan would not take the news lightly."

"But it's his son-!"

"We will tell him, in time," the Kai interrupted, "But for now there are more pressing issues to address. There is a chance that Gokuto will become far too powerful, even with his diluted blood. Majin magic is a very strange and mysterious thing, as you have witnessed, and the child is already showing signs of incredible power."

"Then we will train him," Piccolo stated boldly, "If he learns to control his power, then he'll be fine. There will be no need to worry."

He smiled sadly, "I thought you might say that. But I'm afraid that training is not going to be enough. The mixture of saiyan blood and Majin magic is too dangerous to comprehend, and very difficult to control, especially for a mere child. If Gokuto should indulge in a simple sparring match with his father without any restraint, he may accidentally blow up the Earth in the process."

The Namekian's eyes widened, as the Kai continued, "You must train him in a different way. Train his _mind_ Piccolo, that is the only way he will be able to learn to stifle the evil magic that resides within him. It may seem controversial yes, but you must convince Goku and the others not to train with him."

"You've seen what Goku's like," Piccolo scoffed, "He's already been boasting to Vegeta about how strong his grandson is, I bet he's planning out a training schedule for him already."

"It is difficult," Supreme Kai admitted, "But necessary all the same. There is no telling how dangerous the boy could become. He has to learn control, before his powers control him."

"Is it really that serious?" Piccolo asked.

It just couldn't be possible, not little Gokuto. Piccolo loved the young boy nearly as much as he did Gohan, though he would never admit his affection to anyone but the teenager. He didn't want him to get hurt, and he couldn't even begin to fathom how much it would destroy Gohan if he were to ever find out.

The Kai stared, "I assure you, I would not be having this discussion with you if I didn't think it were. If Gokuto's powers were to flourish, there is a chance that his magic will come to light, owing to devastating consequences. Majin magic is seductive, as I'm sure you are more than aware of Piccolo. If the boy gives into these dark desires, he will become more powerful and terrifying than Buu himself, spelling the end of the universe as we know it."

Piccolo gritted his teeth, "and you expect me to just lie to Gohan like that?"

"To keep Gokuto and the universe safe yes. The child is still pure, his dreams tonight filled with his father and mother," The Supreme Kai informed him, "This secret must not get out, if there are rumours, there will be those searching to awaken his power, you saw how much interest Babidi and Ize had in the boy. We do not want another repeat of Buu. Please, do what you can Piccolo."

The Namekian sighed, his duty to protect the Earth overcoming his own emotions, a part of him that he was sure was from Kami's influence. Slowly, he nodded, causing the Kai to smile.

"Thank you, my friend," he said.

"It's not as though I have a choice," Piccolo replied gruffly.

The Supreme Kai nodded dutifully, the light of instantaneous movement engulfing his frame, "Remember Piccolo, whatever happens, the boy must not fight. If he does achieve a power of such magnitude then I'm afraid that Gohan is the only one that can stop him, and I am certain that he will not want to destroy his own son."

Then in a blinding flash, he was gone.

 ** _To all those who may be disappointed that it didnt turn out a Gohan/Lime fic - Im sorry! and well, this story didnt start as a happily ever after and I wasnt going to finish on a happily ever after. Who knows, if Lime had never had her accident then maybe she would have ended up with Gohan? But things happen for a reason as they say, and Gohan has grown to love Videl, although its clare to anyone that he still harbours feelings for Lime. She is the mother of Gokuto after all. For those rooting for a Gohan/Videl... yay! However, as you can see, I'm evil and just had to rip that little happily ever after away with the bombshell dropped by The Supreme Kai. Soz ;) Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!_**


	45. Epilogue - One Year Later

_Of course there's an Epilogue, I just couldn't resist! ;)_

 **Epilogue**

 **One Year Later**

 **xxxx**

 _Carry on my wayward son - Kansas_

 **Planet Earth, June Age 775**

His plan was fool proof.

There was no doubt about it, he thought, as he clenched a clawed fist over the stone of eternity. It was the key to the galaxy's demise. Yes, immortality would finally be his! His enemies would finally fall, the universe's strongest warriors would bow before him. World's would quiver and tremble beneath his feet!

Yes, he thought, as his green, scaled skin brushed against the dry rocks of the cave. No one would find him here, not on such a weak little planet in the middle of the Northern Galaxy. How the strange blue rock was still surviving was beyond him, what with The Planet Trade having had ruled over the galaxies for decades. It was full of such _disgusting_ creatures.

Oh yes, he would have fun eliminating them all with his new found power. He had already caused havoc within their cities, destroying buildings and raiding their banks for more precious gems.

It was only the beginning of his empire.

But for now he must rest, he was shielded from the heat of the burning sun, safe and cool in the dark cave. He would have to wait for his moment, the moment the universe would fall. Yes, it was fool proof. No one could stop him now.

"You know, for a supposed highly wanted villain, you sure are stereotypical."

The sudden voice echoed off the walls of the cave, causing the green-skinned alien to stop in his tracks, it was strong but youthful, and held a hint of amusement in its tone.

He gasped, as he heard footsteps approach, and in a flash, the stone of immortality was ripped away from his grasp. His many eyes darted around him, though he could not see any sign of his attacker anywhere.

"Honestly, this is almost too easy," the voice spoke again in a bored manner, "I mean, I could practically hear you muttering your plan from the other side of the planet. Did you _want_ us to find you?"

"W-who are you? Show yourself!" he croaked, fear racked his bones as a white aura chased away the shadows of the cave, illuminating a figure standing before him.

It was a young man, he realised, around six feet tall. He had long, unruly golden hair that cascaded down to his waist in a long ponytail. His face was handsome, youthful with a strong jawline, though his eyes were covered by a shiny black visor.

He was well built, with a muscular torso and broad shoulders. He wore a black spandex bodice with a blue and gold chest plate, complete with a silver and black cape, dark gloves and boots also accompanied his outfit. The hilt of a sword could be seen behind him, nestled within the sheathe that was strapped to his back. A long brown tail protruded from his cape, swirling around him in annoyance.

"Oh come off it," said the teenager, rolling his eyes, "I would have thought that most people would know by now. Gossip travels fast throughout the galaxies as The Supreme Kai says."

"No, no," the green skinned alien gasped, taking in his appearance fully, "I-it cant be – y-your him! The one who defeated Majin Buu! The rumours are true!"

"That's right," said Gohan with a smirk, "And I can't believe you were stupid enough to come to my home planet. Im mean certainly, give Earth a visit, see the sights, visit the newly opened Gold Fighter museum if you want to, I don't mind! But when you start destroying the cities, that's when you start to piss me off. Honestly, its like you're _actually_ asking to be beaten to within an inch of you're life or something."

The alien whimpered, the enormous energy pulsating around him was unmistakable as the young saiyan thoughtfully turned the stone around in his palm, the other hand reaching for the sword on his back, "Now, how to teach you a lesson…"

 **BAM!**

The alien cried out in pain as he suddenly flew across the cave, his large green head hitting the stone wall. All four eyes popped out of their sockets as he slumped to the floor, unconscious.

"Nice shot," The young man observed, impressed as the attacker landed gracefully in front of him, "Golden Girl."

"Thanks Gold Fighter, but you talk way too much, I got fed up of waiting," Golden Girl replied, rolling her eyes at him.

"Aw, come on Videl," he teased, putting the jagged Z-Sword back into it's place, "I was just having a bit of fun, it's been a few months since we had any extraterrestrial criminals knocking on our doorstep."

Videl huffed in annoyance, folding her arms across her chest. She was dressed in a similar black outfit as her comrade, though her bodice was more like a leotard, exposing her smooth toned legs. The bodice ran the length of her arms and dipped at the chest where a plate of silver armour protected her torso. A black mask covered the area around her eyes, allowing her sapphire orbs to shine brightly out at the young saiyan. Her raven hair was loose, reaching her waist in elegant waves. She wore thigh high boots upon her feet. Black fingerless gloves and a golden cape completed her attire.

"Aw don't be mad babe," Gohan pined at his girlfriend, "Look I'll finish off the job -"

Quickly bringing up his palm, he blasted a small ball of Ki at the unconscious brute, incinerating him in an instant, "See?"

Videl did not look impressed, "And what about this 'stone of eternity' that he was harping on about?"

Gohan swiftly ignited a ball of Ki in his palm, "What stone?"

The Satan girl tutted, "You can't just solve everything by blowing things up you know!"

"Why not?" he smirked, "It worked on Buu."

"You're going to hurt someone with that ego of yours one of these days," she sighed before spinning on her heel, "Come on, we're already late."

The young saiyan quickly followed suit, following her out of the cave and taking off into the sky. The skies were clear and bright, the sun reflecting in the ocean as they flew overhead. Gohan held back his speed, as Videl was still getting used to her flight, though she had come on in leaps and bounds, her Ki swelling bigger and bigger with each passing day.

"Hey look! It's The Gold Fighter and Golden Girl! Everybody wave!"

Cheers erupted below them as they flew over the streets of Satan City and continued further East, the young couple waved back cheerily, their fans reeling from excitement. The pair were truly loved by all, even though their true identity's were far from a secret. There was something about having real superhero's to fight crime that was enchanting in itself.

Fortunately for Gohan and Videl, Mister Satan was quick to stifle any reporters who dared to report on their love life, even though it was fully out in the open. The news that The Gold Fighter was dating Videl Satan, or _Golden Girl_ as she was now referred to, left millions of broken teenage hearts across the planet, though the halfling paid no mind, there was only one heart he was bothered about breaking.

Still, Videl's hate mail had steadily slowed after a few months, and now one year on the couple were moving on with their lives. They were careful not to let the whirlwind of being superhero's take over as they tried to adjust to breaking free into normal adult lives. Gohan was close to completing a university degree in engineering at just nineteen years old, generously paid for by Mister Satan. With the Champ and Bulma pulling some strings, Gohan was allowed to complete the degree in just under a year, with a post at Capsule Corporation waiting for him at the end. That way, he would be able to get a much better job role instead of just having an apprenticeship. His mother was ecstatic of course.

Videl on the other hand, had enrolled in the police academy for Satan City and had nearly completed her first year. And, with Gohan's impending salary in just a few months, the pair had already started at looking at houses together. Mister Satan had offered them the money for them to build an enormous mansion in Satan City, but the young couple didn't feel right taking it, more than willing to start up alone. Gohan still had some money saved up from his earnings as The Gold Fighter after all.

The halfling also knew he couldn't live in a place like Satan City, as much as he had grown fond of his future father-in-law. His mother certainly didn't like the thought of her 'baby boy' moving out, but Gohan was more than ready to start his own path, his own life with Videl and Gokuto elsewhere.

As they flew over the Eastern Mountains, Gohan knew that he would miss the place in which he grew up. Though he knew that he could never stray for too long, that and he would always struggle to be too far away from the beautiful countryside.

Deeming it safe to transform, Videl pressed the button on her wrist watch, her superhero clothes replaced by a pair of skinny jeans and converse, her long white t-shirt loose off one shoulder as it flapped freely in the light quickly joined her, sporting his own pair of ripped jeans and a tight t-shirt, showing off his sleeve of tattoo's that had a few new additions added to it. His long, golden hair turned back to it's usual ebony, the visor slipping from his face and revealing his dark onyx eyes that glinted in the summer sun.

"I'm so glad that Bulma built that illusion device into your suit," said Videl, as they flew, "I was getting fed up of bleaching your hair every six weeks."

"Don't lie Vi," he winked back at her, "you loved all those loooooong hours we spent locked up in your dad's bathroom."

"Shut up Gohan," she fumed, folding her arms across her chest as the wind whipped through her hair.

The halfling smirked, and began to swoop around her teasingly, throwing his head back and forth, "OH Gohan! Don't stop Gohan! Ooh I love it when you do that with your tail Gohan - OW!"

The young saiyan dropped several feet, as Videl caught him off guard with a well aimed strike to the skull.

"Your punches are getting stronger lately," he winced, floating up beside her once more.

"Well I've been practicing, hitting you is one of my favourite things to do," she mused, flashing him a wicked grin.

"Just one of?" he teased, causing her to roll her eyes at him.

She ignored his wicked grin as they flew over the familiar valleys of Mount Paozu, sparkling clear lakes reflecting their shadows in the water. Gohan could just about make out small ripples over the surface, though from this height he couldn't tell whether or not it was caused by fish or locals swimming in the cool waters.

"Why are you squinting like that?"

Gohan started at the sound of her voice. She was giving him a curious, and rather amused look, which caused the halfling to shoot her a glare, "I'm not squinting, I've just got something in my eye."

"Oh really?" Videl quirked, "Because I've noticed you've been doing that a lot lately, especially when you're studying at your computer. Maybe you need glasses."

The young saiyan halted in mid air, "I do _not_ need glasses."

His girlfriend sighed hopelessly, "Oh come off it, it's not that bad, you can't keep struggling like that."

"Easy for you to say," he pouted, folding his arms across his chest, "I've never heard of a saiyan needing glasses before."

"You are half human too Gohan," she reasoned, her lips quirking into a smirk, "Besides, they might make you look like less of a punk."

"Oi!"

Videl rolled her eyes, taking off once more and forcing the young man to follow her, "You're not getting away with this, we're going to the opticians tomorrow and getting your eyes tested."

"Fine," Gohan sighed, "But not one word of this to anyone, especially not Mum or Vegeta."

She grinned back at him triumphantly, causing him to scowl. But there was no more time to argue, as the billowing smoke from the chimney of his family home came into view, shortly followed by the little cottages by the edge of the forest.

The young saiyan touched upon the ground lightly, though Videl squeaked a little, stumbling into him as she made a rather clumsy landing.

"We've _got_ to work on your landing," he chuckled, causing the girl to glare at him.

"I'll give you a landing Son Gohan," she growled, shaking a fist towards him before walking off ahead towards the door step.

Gohan smirked, reaching the doorway in a flash and leaning up the frame before her, "Well why don't I give you another _private_ lesson tonight, once I've put Gokuto to bed…"

To his delight, her lips quirked into a seductive smile. She leaned into him, her breath tickling his lips, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah…"

 **CREAK**

The two crime fighter's yelped, as the front door suddenly swung open from behind them. Gohan's back hit the cool wooden floors with a loud thud, Videl falling right on top of him as he looked up to meet the thunderous glare of his mother.

"Late again!" Chi-Chi fumed, shaking her head at the pair of them, "Why am I not surprised?"

"Sorry Mum," Gohan grinned, still splayed out on the floor, "We got caught up."

"Yes I'm sure you did," his mother tutted, shutting the door with a snap, "Now please get up off the floor Son Gohan, you're setting a bad example."

The young saiyan rolled his eyes, clambering to his feet and helping his girlfriend up in the process.

"Oh Videl!" his mother suddenly gushed, as if just having noticed the Satan girl, "How lovely to see you! Please come in, make yourself at home, you know where everything is!"

"Thanks Chi-Chi," Videl smiled, following her into the small kitchen where Goku and Goten were sat at the table, their eyes staring hungrily at the mountain of food in front of them.

It was rather odd having his father back in his life, though not in a bad way. It had certainly taken some getting used to over the first few weeks after his return, though as it turned out, it seemed that Goku had a lot more readjusting to do too. His father was certainly not used to having a teenager for a son, and thus resulted in a rather embarrassing situation regarding instant transmission when Gohan was late coming back from Videl's one night.

It was safe to say that his girlfriend did not visit for about a week after _that_ particular incident, and it took her a bit longer than that to look his father in the eye. Still, having his father back was certainly a blessing for their little family. His mother simply couldn't stop smiling, and had even begun to wear her hair down, something Gohan only ever saw when she was relaxing. Goten and Gokuto were completely besotted by the man, and Gohan would join them all on numerous fishing trips and camp out under the stars amongst the valleys.

The Z-Fighter's were back to their normal, carefree selves, and had returned to family life. Though they refused to let up on their training, the reality that there were beings out there more powerful than Cell was a hard lesson to learn, but one that had to be learned all the same.

Gohan's power, however, had took a bit more getting used to than anything else. The first day after Majin Buu's defeat, he had returned from Videl's for a well deserved shower and finally got a good look at himself in the bathroom mirror. As he had studied his reflection, he noticed some subtle differences in himself that weren't there a couple of days beforehand. His muscles seemed harder, more defined under his skin. His eyes even looked darker, if that was at all possible, though a light spark had been reignited within the orbs that he thought he had lost many years ago.

He couldn't help but think that the spark was mainly due to Videl.

Still, his power was certainly gastronomical, and it took him a few months to be able to control it properly. Gohan would occasionally engage in a friendly sparring match with the gang, though at the moment his focus was aimed at his career and Videl. He had willingly taken to training her to fly and manipulate Ki in between spending time together on dates like any normal young couple. Videl loved sparring with him, and even though he was eons stronger than her, he enjoyed teaching her all the same. His father, Piccolo and Vegeta didn't seem to mind, though they had encouraged him to not let his training slip again. For now though, they were happy for him, and Gohan would even go as far to tease them all for getting soft.

"Chi-Chi, can we eat yet?" Goku groaned longingly.

"We're starving!" whined Goten.

"Don't be so dramatic Goten," the ox-princess huffed, "Gohan and Videl are here now."

"Sorry we kept you waiting Dad," Gohan grinned cheekily as the teenager's entered the kitchen and sat themselves down at the table.

"That's alright son," his father beamed, "Did you catch that alien monster that was destroying the cities?"

"Of course we did Goku," Videl winked, "Well, more like _I_ did, all Gohan managed to do was tell him off a bit before I had to take control of the situation and drop kick him into a wall."

"Wow Videl!" exclaimed Goten, his eyes widening in awe, "You're like the Robin to Gohan's Batman!"

The girl's stare hardened as Gohan snorted with laughter.

"Okay, Robin wishes he was me," she said in annoyance, picking up her fork and glaring at her boyfriend.

"But Robin's cool!" the young boy protested.

"Speak for yourself Goten," said Gohan, still laughing.

"Oh stop teasing her the both of you," his mother scolded, before her head perked up listening for something, "I think I hear Gokuto, I'll go and check on him, you stay and eat your dinner Gohan."

As his mother left the room, his father turned to him, "Now your mother's gone son, I've been meaning to ask, when are you going to start training him?"

"I don't know," the teen said honestly, when thinking about his own power, he couldn't help but consider what he would do about Gokuto's, "I was thinking about teaching him a few basics next year when he turned four, but Piccolo was saying something about doing meditation with him instead."

"Meditation?" His father frowned.

"Yeah that's what I thought," said Gohan, "But Piccolo said it would be good for controlling his little outbursts."

Videl snorted, "I'd hardly call them little Gohan."

"Aw he can't help it," he pouted, "he's only three, I didn't start training until I was four, remember?"

"Yeah but you weren't…" his father paused struggling for words.

"Weren't _what_?" the halfling challenged dangerously.

"To put it lightly son, you weren't a little terror."

"Oi!"

"Hey I'm sorry," Goku smiled apologetically, holding his hands up in defence, "But you can't deny that his temper tantrums are something else, remember when he exploded the garden shed just last week?"

"And your mum's wedding china last month," Videl stated.

"Remember when you forced him in the bathtub when he didn't want a bath that one time Gohan?" Goten chimed in happily, "I got stuck in the ceiling!"

"Alright alright!" Gohan sighed, "So he's got a few anger management issues I have yet to parent out of him. But do you really think meditation will work? Even I struggle with the attention span for that!"

"No surprise there," Videl drawled, causing the halfling to glare at her.

"Who knows Gohan," his father shrugged, "Piccolo might be right. Gokuto has got a lot of power inside him after all. It might be good for him to learn how to control his energy before we start teaching him how to spar."

"Don't worry Gohan," said Goten, "I bet it won't take that long! Ooh! Then 'Kuto can join in with mine and Trunks' fighting games!"

The teenager scoffed, "That will only happen if we ever want half the world to be destroyed. Which is never."

"Awwww," Goten pouted, "no fair."

"Oh by the way," Goku started, "Did you know that Vegeta's already got Bulla training in the gravity chamber? She's only on four times Earth's gravity though at the minute."

"Of course she is," said Gohan with a roll of his eyes. Vegeta would no doubt be smug about that one.

Videl gasped, "What?! But I can't even handle that! She's three!"

"Don't worry Videl," Goku grinned, "We'll get you training under gravity in no time at all, you've already improved from the last time I saw you and Gohan spar, I can sense it!"

"Wow thanks Goku," the girl blushed, "That means a lot coming from you."

"But I thought you were already training in the gravity chamber?" blinked Goten innocently, "Remember Gohan? Me and Trunks sensed you and Videl in there last week but you wouldn't let us in! By the sounds of it you were having a really hard training session, Videl was moaning really loudly! You must have really hurt her!"

Videl blushed to the roots of her hair, as Gohan glared at his little brother.

"Goten!" the halfling seethed, as his father snorted with laughter, "I told you to keep that _training session_ a secret!"

"Whoops!" the young boy gasped, slapping his hands over his mouth, "Sorry Gohan, I forgot."

"Don't worry about it son," Goku grinned wickedly, "It's easy to get carried away when you're under those sorts of conditions, I remember when I used to train with your mother before you were born. Let's just say it was lucky that we lived all the way up here in the mountains, or else someone would have walked in on Chi-Chi and I-"

" _Dad!"_ Gohan yelled hotly, cutting him off. Great Kami, he really did not want to know.

Luckily for him, his mother chose that moment to walk back into the kitchen.

"Poor love," she sighed, sitting opposite her husband at the table, "He's having another one of those dreams again."

"He is?" Gohan frowned, moving to get up from the table when Chi-Chi stopped him.

"He's fine Gohan, he settled right back off to sleep," she informed him, "I think spending the day at Mister Lao's took a lot out of him, you know how excitable he gets."

"How is Lime?" Videl asked, concern flickering through her eyes.

"No different," said Goku with a sigh, "When I went to pick him up earlier she was sat out on the porch, she didn't acknowledge Gokuto when he hugged her goodbye this time. I think she was having a bad day, Mister Lao said he had to take 'Kuto out with him to the fields to distract him. Apparently Lime had been staring out at the sky for hours."

"Yeah, she likes to look at the clouds floating by," Gohan said sadly, his mind drifting to his best friend.

Lime wasn't always that subdued anymore, occasionally her eyes would light up at the sight of their son, and she would even hug him back when he jumped on her lap and cuddled her. She still couldn't talk, though she had steadily improved over the past year. Gohan would make sure that Gokuto went to see her at least once a week, and the boy seemed to enjoy his visits over the mountain. Though Gohan couldn't help but feel a little guilty, he had been so busy attending university and looking at housing with Videl in West City that he had been unable to visit the Lao's for the past few weeks. He would have to make time over the weekend to take Gokuto again.

"Well look who's just woken up from his nap!" Chi-Chi suddenly announced to the solemn room as the toddler in question wondered into the kitchen.

"Hi there kiddo," Goku cooed at the little boy.

Gokuto yawned widely, blinking the sleep out of his emerald eyes. He now came up to just above Gohan's knee, his freckles more prominent on his cheeks and his ebony hair messier than ever.

"Hello Grandpa!" He said happily before clambering onto Gohan's lap, "Hi Daddy, Hi Videl!"

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep young man?" The halfling asked him curiously, his tail wrapping around him in affection.

"I smelled food!" He bellowed, causing the family to chuckle.

"Well now, I think that's a very good reason for skipping out on your nap, wouldn't you say Gohan?" Videl smiled at him.

The little boy giggled, clutching onto Gohan's shirt as he grinned back at her. His son absolutely adored Videl, which thrilled the halfling to no end. Only a hand full of times, did Gokuto accidentally call her 'Mum', but the young saiyan reasoned that it was because she was around so much. He knew that Lime was his Mummy of course, but at his age he didn't really understand what a girlfriend was.

"Here," Gohan rolled his eyes in amusement, passing his son his fork and allowing him to go to town on his dinner. He couldn't remember the last time he didn't have to share his food.

The sounds of chomping and slurping filled the room, as the four saiyan's and two human's tucked into their meal. Goten finished first, and was busy hollering at his mother for seconds and thirds when Gokuto gulped down his mouthful and turned towards him.

"Daddy guess what!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"What?" Gohan asked, taking his opportunity and stealing a mouthful of potato.

"I dreamt that I was flying!"

"FLYING?!" his father over-exaggerated like the besotted grandfather he was, "Wow look at you!"

"You did?" Gohan chuckled, "Will you remember how to do it this time?"

Gokuto hadn't exactly learned how to fly at will, although the teenager knew he had done in the battle against Majin Buu. Yet the littlest saiyan claimed he didn't remember how he did it.

Gokuto blinked, "I dunno, but I was flying really high up and all these lights were everywhere and there was people yelling and shouting and the lights were really pretty. Then I got really mad and really really tall and then all the lights made a great big BOOM! It was weird!"

The teen saiyan shook his head in amusement as the kitchen was filled with his family's laughter. Gokuto had been having very vivid dreams for months, and at first Gohan was worried, he didn't want the young boy to be traumatised by flashbacks from the battle with Majin Buu.

However, none of the dreams made any sort of sense, so the teenager just put it down to the toddler having a very wild imagination. It didn't seem to bother the little saiyan too much, save for disturbing his sleep occasionally. Gokuto gave him a wide grin, as the bright kitchen hummed with the warm buzz of the Son family. Videl gave his leg an affectionate squeeze under the table, before returning to her meal, batting his father's wondering hands away from her plate in the process.

His mother was jumping between scolding Goten for getting splatters of gravy all over the carpet and informing them that they were to be spending the day over at Capsule Corp. with the rest of the gang tomorrow. His father wasn't really listening, just nodding his head obediently whilst shoving bread rolls into his face.

Gohan couldn't help but smile, even with the annoying prospect of he and Videl having to slip out of the gathering tomorrow to go and get his eyes tested without anyone noticing. He really hoped he didn't need glasses, he was sure to be teased relentlessly by the Z-Fighters if he did. Though maybe spending a bit of time with Videl alone would be enough to curb his nerves before he asked her that evening, his thoughts drifting momentarily to the ring box hidden in his sock draw.

He didn't think that he was rushing into anything, even though he was just nineteen. They didn't have to get married right away, it would do them well to save up for a mortgage first. He hadn't told a soul, not even his mother and father, so it was sure to be a shock for everyone when he got down on one knee tomorrow evening - he couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Videl, and what with him having died and all last year, it seemed to have put everything into perspective for the young saiyan.

Still, everything was finally back to normal in his crazy life, and he couldn't wait to see what the future would bring. He couldn't see his girlfriend saying no, he _was_ The Gold Fighter after all, Destroyer of Cell, Slayer of Majin Buu…

 _"Videl is right, you're going to hurt someone with that ego of yours."_

Gohan rolled his eyes at the gruff voice that suddenly entered his head, _"Why must you always eavesdrop on my private thoughts Mister Piccolo?"_

 _"It's not eavesdropping when I can hear your gloating from The Lookout."_

 _"Liar,"_ he inwardly smirked, _"You and I both know you're sat on our roof having a kip."_

 _"It's called_ ** _meditation_** _Gohan."_

 _"It's not meditating when I can hear you snore,"_ he teased.

 _"You're on thin ice kid."_

 _"You love it."_

He felt the familiar force of his mentor shutting him out of his mind. He rolled his eyes in amusement, the Namekian warrior could never leave him in peace even now he was about to be a married man. Slowly, he looked down, realising that Gokuto was still staring at him with expectant emerald green eyes, waiting for him to give some kind of praise to his amazing tale.

The teenager ruffled his hair, grinning at the little boy in his arms, "Sounds like quite the dream kiddo."

 **The End?**

 _Well, there it is! I just want to thank everyone for their continued love and support. This story has been 3 and a bit years in the making, when I first got the idea for the story back in December 2013! Its been through a lot of development and changes, and I am finally happy with it. My writing has gotten a lot better, and all you lovely reviewers and followers have just made me want to keep writing more and more! I may go back and do some editing around grammar, but will not change anything about the story. Check out my instagram emeraldsaiyan for artwork and posts related to this story as... ITS NOT FINISHED YET. That's right, there's a sequel currently in the works, although it wont be out for a while. I have released a sequel preview which you will find on the next page. Thank you so so so much again you amazing fanfiction people. This has really become my escape, and allowed me to be creative. I so hope have enjoyed the ending. I can't believe that I've posted the first book! ahhh! Thanks again! Love! 3 xxx_


	46. Sequel Preview

_So here is the sequel preview! Yay! This is set 12 years after Majin Buu's defeat. A long time skip I know but this was set out before Super was even a thing! So Im rolling with my alternate universe and ignoring timings! Ive put together a few snippets of poignant moments and some that are just fun/funny that I had ideas for. Please note that the first few chapters wont be out for a long while (not mega long hopefully) as I really want to be happy with the direction of it before I do anything! This fic will mainly be from Gokuto/Gohan's pov, so I wanted to give you a snippet of a teenage Gokuto. He definetly will get more badass as the story goes on! Please check out my instragram emeraldsaiyan where I will be posting updates and artwork produced my my amazing friend saiyankai. Check out his stuff, its amazing! So this is all for now, thank you for your support everyone. Until we meet again!_

 **Sequel Preview - Dragonball Awakening: Revenge of an Empire**

 **xxxx**

 **"Grandpa, do you ever get the feeling that you don't belong?" Goku raised a curious eyebrow, "What do you mean kiddo?" Gokuto sighed, the stars reflecting in his emerald eyes, "Sometimes, I feel like I don't belong here, as if I'm supposed to be somewhere else." The sequel to Dragonball Awakening. (AU)**

 _ **Have you ever had that strange, niggling feeling that you don't belong? Well, Son Gokuto could tell you all about that. A tremendous power swells within him, just begging to be unleashed, yet it is stifled by his ruthless mentor and overshadowed by his perfect little sister. Twelve years after the defeat of Majin Buu, and the Z-Fighter's are enjoying a long age of peace, which has begun to bore the young hybrid to no end. Whilst Gokuto wishes for something exciting to happen just to stir things up, his father, Son Gohan is busy trying to do his best both as a husband and father, pursuing a high flying career whilst still struggling with the demons of his past. Yet evil approaches, threatening to unleash chaos upon the Earth. Soon both father and son come to realise the painful truth, that sometimes, darkness can emerge from the most unlikely of places.**_

"So do you need an extra player?" Asked Gokuto hopefully, his emerald eyes glinting at the boys in front of them.

"Er, sorry mate," Dean cringed, taking the ball swiftly from his grasp, "We've already got five and we're trying to keep it an even number."

"Oh, alright," the young saiyan replied dejectedly, as the third year boy's ran off to resume their match in the school grounds, before he realised something, "Oi!"

xxxx

The teen pouted, "But Piccolo, how am I supposed to know how to control myself properly when I don't even know what my full power is?"

Something flickered behind his mentors eyes, "We've discussed this a hundred times Gokuto, there is no use you powering up when you can't even control a simple blast being thrown at you. You could hurt someone."

"But Grandpa said-!" he tried to argue, but was abruptly silenced by the Namekian.

"Your grandfather isn't the one training you" he stated sternly, "Meditation is the key to your power Gokuto, something that Goku doesn't understand. He is more than happy to keep powering up and powering up until he nearly destroys himself. I won't let that happen to you."

"Wow it's almost like you care," the teenager spat back.

"Watch it kid," Piccolo glowered, "Or else I'll use my eye lasers on you again."

Gokuto winced, the last time his mentor had used those he could have sworn he had burnt his underwear.

xxxx

The teenager was halfway through his forth helping of chicken pie when his grandfather suddenly stood up, a move that caught the attention of everyone present.

"Goku, is something wrong?" asked Chi-Chi worriedly, the full bloodied saiyan was never one to interrupt a feast.

The warrior shook his head, practically beaming ear to ear as he winked at Pan. Gokuto frowned and looked at his sister, who was sat next to him with a sheepish smile on her face.

"Nope, nothing's wrong Chi," said Goku, "I just have an announcement to make, and it involves someone at this table. I know we said we'd keep it a secret until the weekend," He added, directing his gaze towards the three youngsters on his right, "But I think it's too long to wait!"

Silence engulfed the table, as all eyes were torn between the head of the family and Gokuto's side of the table. Before Goku could say anymore, Chi-Chi stood up, smacking a confused looking Goten upside the head.

"OW!" He cried, rubbing the sore spot as his mother glared at him.

"Alright! Who did you get pregnant?!" She roared.

"N-no one!" spluttered Goten, exasperated.

Chi-Chi raised her hand again, only to be caught swiftly by Goku, as in a flash, he was between the pair.

"No no! Nothing like that Chi-Chi!" Goku said nervously as his wife breathed a sigh of relief, the woman's heart had already been weakened enough by the shock from her eldest son fourteen years ago.

"Great Kami Chi-Chi no," his grandfather continued, "I was just going to announce that today when we were training, Pan became a super saiyan."

He gave them all a beaming smile, placing his hand fondly on his granddaughter's shoulder.

Gokuto barely registered the words of praise and admiration that followed, his mouth hanging open as he watched his father spin his sister around the kitchen.

"No way Panny! I'm so proud of you!" exclaimed Gohan, squeezing his daughter tightly.

"Thanks Daddy!" the seven year old grinned, as Videl kissed her on the cheeks.

Even his grandmother had a tear in her eye, grabbing a handkerchief from the pocket of her grab.

"Looks like you'll be joining the big leagues now Pan," said Goten, ruffling his niece's hair affectionately, "What do you say we have a little spar after dinner?"

"Yeah!" Pan beamed, her excitement lighting up her peach complexion.

"Gokuto, what do you say to your sister?" Videl chimed, and suddenly, all eyes we're upon him.

Gokuto jumped, as he realised he had been the only one not to congratulate Pan. Part of him was happy for her, and wanted to be proud just like any big brother should. On the other hand, it also meant that he was now the only saiyan that could not make the transformation, meaning that his sister would no longer be sat on the side-lines with him, cracking jokes and throwing the odd Ki blast into the fray, just to see what would happen.

Now he would be alone, watching Pan actually keeping up with the others. Gokuto always knew that his sister was a natural at fighting, she seemed to be born with an effortless talent, but she still always looked up to him as her big brother. Now Gokuto would be the one looking up to her.

xxxx

"Whoops," mocked Amos, gesturing to the saiyan's spilled lunch, "I suppose I slipped, here, you want a banana? Let's call it a truce."

Gokuto glared, as the boy pulled out the yellow fruit from his blazer pocket, grabbing the attention of several onlookers who chortled with laughter.

"Piss off Chun," the hybrid snarled, his emerald eyes narrowing.

"And what are you going to do if I don't?" Amos scoffed, "What did _daddy dearest_ finally teach his worthless son a few tricks?"

The young saiyan immediately felt his Ki spike, which caught the attention of his fellow saiyans, who looked towards the scene in horror.

"Ooh he looks angry," the blonde haired bully cooed, causing the crowd to emit bursts of laughter, "What's the matter Son, have I touched a nerve? Look at him! Son of the famous Gold Fighter, too scared to land a hit, what a disappointment-"

Gokuto started forwards, causing the throng of students to gasp. Yet he stopped, held back by his own restraints. The teen closed his eyes, attempting to calm himself down and push his energy to the pit of his stomach, and remember Piccolo's teachings.

"Is it a fight you want?" Amos jested, "Well come on then!"

"No…"

"What was that?"

"I said no!" Gokuto spat hotly, "Just leave me alone! I don't want to fight you!"

"You don't?" the boy taunted, a wicked grin spreading across his features, "Well that's too bad, because I want to fight you!"

xxxx

"Oh hi Vegeta!" Goku called from an un exploded corner of the room, dusting off his orange Ki with a charming smile, "We we're just training!"

"TRAINING?!" Vegeta spat, still with a firm hold of Gokuto. The teen curled his tail up in between his legs as he was dangled off of the ground. "You call exploding my gravity room training?!"

"Aw come on Vegeta, he didn't mean it, he just lost control was all!" said Goku.

The prince surveyed the room with fury in his eyes, "That is an understatement Kakarot. The boy's an abomination!"

Gokuto bit back a retort, he knew how it would end if he started an argument with Vegeta, and he was in enough trouble as it was.

"Aw don't be like that," Goku frowned, "He didn't mean it, did you Gokuto?"

The teenager shook his head vigorously as his grandfather looked towards him.

Vegeta scoffed, before rounding on his fellow saiyan, "I don't care if he meant it or not! He destroyed half the gravity room and shut off the generator for the entire floor! In simpleton terms Kakarot, he interrupted MY training."

Both Son's winced, as Vegeta's voice rang in their ears.

"Sorry Vegeta, we didn't think you were here!" said Goku.

"Well I am here!" Vegeta practically yelled in his face, "And I've had enough of picking up after your idiotic spawn!"

"Well that's not very nice." The younger saiyan all but pouted.

xxxx

"What in the HFIL is going on?!" Trunks exclaimed, as the Z-Fighter's approached them, their figures seemingly materialising through the clouds of smoke.

Vegeta rolled his eyes, as he caught sight of Gohan, "Brat, is _that_ really necessary?"

"What?" his father asked, looking down at the outfit of the legendary Gold Fighter, "I couldn't find my gi!"

"Couldn't find-?!" The prince growled, before pinching the bridge of his nose in despair, "Unbelievable."

"Vegeta's right G," chimed Goten, "Maybe you should have just shown up in jeans and a hoodie or something."

"Yeah," Trunks agreed, wrinkling his nose in distaste, "It kind of looks like your mum made you a Power Rangers costume for halloween and didn't give a shit."

Gohan gaped, as the rest of the gang snorted with laughter, "W-what?! But you used to think it was cool!"

"Yeah, when we were kids and didn't know any better."

"Well I like it," said Gokuto, defending his father.

Trunks rolled his eyes, "You would 'Kuto."

xxxx

"I was attacked," he started, all eyes upon him, "By a saiyan, he said his name was Raditz."

Silence, as his father and grandfather shared a look.

"Impossible," Vegeta muttered, "Raditz is dead."

Gokuto winced, at the thought of the halo dancing atop of the bulking man's head.

xxxx

 **" _Foolish girl,"_** the white haired alien spoke, before launching himself at Videl, engaging in a heated fist fight.

"Gohan," Piccolo spoke quietly, drawing Gokuto's attention away from the TV, "Isn't that-?"

"Garlic Junior's henchman," his father finished, in a tone that sent chills down Gokuto's spine.

Several others gasped, yet no one had time to comment when King Kai's voice rang around them.

" _I'm afraid so, the adverse changes in the weather have been no coincidence, it's a side effect of the dimensions between the depths of Otherworld and the living world being ripped apart."_

Goku gaped, "King Kai, are you saying-?!"

 _"Yes Goku, the gates of HFIL have been unleashed, your old enemies are walking the Earth as we speak. And they're out for revenge."_

xxxx

"Get us to a safe place!" The mysterious man roared over the raging winds of battle, jumping Gokuto out of his thoughts.

Why did this man look so much like his grandfather?

xxxx

"Why am I any different to anyone else?!" as he roared, the lights surged, plunging the kitchen into darkness for a moment.

There was no movement, everyone just stared at him, Pan giving him a sympathetic glance.

"Whatever," Gokuto huffed, tears springing to his eyes, "I knew you wouldn't understand."

With that, he turned,the backdoor slamming open before he had even touched it. The teenager gritted his teeth as he crossed the threshold, ignoring Videl calling after him.

He knew it was stupid, storming out when battle was on the horizon. He knew he would get an earful when he did eventually return. But Gokuto couldn't stand sitting there any longer, he was fed up of their sympathy and pity. He was fed up of being stifled.

Feeling as though he would explode at any moment, Gokuto kicked off from the ground and blasted into the sky, leaving the Eastern mountains far behind him.

xxxx

"So, will you?" asked Gokuto, "Will you train me?"

"Hmmm," Bardock pondered, before a small smirk graced his lips, "Alright I'll do it, but first of all, we're going to have to do something about… this."

The teenager gaped at him, "But you just gestured to all of me!"

"Exactly."

xxxx

"Gohan! What are you-? Get _off_ Gohan!"

Gokuto sighed, as Piccolo's irate shouts accompanied his father's laughter. Deciding he should attempt to save his mentor, the young saiyan got up and made his way into the hallway.

"Merry Christmas Mister Piccylooo!" slurred Gohan, his arms wrapped firmly around Piccolo's middle.

The Namekian looked positively murderous as Gokuto appeared; his cheeks red in a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"Dad, Dad? _Dad!_ " The teenager shouted, struggling to contain his laughter as his father looked towards him in bewilderment. The Santa hat he sported was sat lopsided on his head, his cheeks tinged pink and his eyes glassy from the effects of alcohol. He was wearing his own jumper; a deep green with an oddly shaped gingerbread man smiling out at them.

"Mum needs you in the living room." Gokuto said as Gohan finally released Piccolo.

A devilish smirk swept his father's features, "'Scuse me gents. My lady calls!" he yelled, before stumbling through the door.

Piccolo sighed heavily, brushing the snow from the shoulder pads of his cape; "How much has he had?"

"He had a Bucks Fizz with breakfast," Gokuto shrugged, "It all went downhill from there."

The Namekian rolled his eyes, before following Gohan into the living room.

xxxx

"Pah, _Gold Fighter?"_ he snarled menacingly, "I thought you'd retired."

"Yeah see, I tried that," said Gohan, his cape billowing around him as his lips drew into a smirk, "Turns out I wasn't too good at it."

xxxx

Drawing in a deep breath, the young saiyan clenched his fists and wrapped his knuckles on the window pane.

He had to remind himself to keep an eye on Vegeta and Trunks' Ki, else there would be hell to pay if they caught him hanging outside Bulla's room like a pervert. His heart pounded, as he felt the saiyan princess' Ki rise slightly as she woke, lamplight illuminating the stone balcony as she peeked her head around the curtains.

Her hair was slightly tousled from where she had slept, and she wore no makeup whatsoever. Her brow was borrowed in both annoyance and confusion, yet her eyes widened in surprise when she caught sight of him. Gokuto gulped as she unlocked her window hurriedly, noticing that she was dressed in nothing but a long t-shirt that barely met her thighs.

"'Kuto? What are you doing here?" she asked, tilting her head to one side and eyeing his duffle bag, "Did your mum and dad chuck you out the house for some 'alone time' again?"

The teenager felt heat rise to his cheeks, "Er no. I just wanted to um… see you."

Bulla blinked, "And this couldn't wait until morning because…"

Gokuto breathed in a sharp intake of breath, "I'm leaving."

The blue haired girl raised an eyebrow, "Leaving?"

He sighed, studying her reaction as he prepared himself to spill the beans, "Yes. I'm leaving, probably for about a year. I'm going to space to train with Bardock."

For about a minute, her features beheld no emotion whatsoever, and Gokuto was left feeling rather hurt, until she let out an enormous gasp when she realised he was serious.

"No way!" She gaped, looking him up and down, "You're serious? Trunks and Goten didn't put you up to this did they?"

The young saiyan shook his head, "No, Bardock suggested I go with him about a month ago, and we're leaving tonight."

"Tonight?!" She almost shrieked, careful not to wake her mother and father up, "Does your Dad know? Better yet, does _Piccolo_ know?!"

"Nope, no one," he informed her, failing to hide his blush, "Except you."

xxxx

Bulma gasped, her eyes bulging at the sight of the scene that greeted her as she stepped into the lab.

"Let's face it," Gohan admitted, looking a little sheepish from where he was working on the space pod, "This is not the worst thing you have caught me doing."

The blue haired woman scowled, "You're not honestly thinking about going after him are you? Kami Gohan you're worse than Piccolo!"

"If anything happens to him out there Bulma, I'll never forgive myself," he sighed, the wrench coming to rest by his side, "Why didn't he come and talk to me?"

xxxx

"There's going to be a war, isn't there Goku?"

"I don't know Chi," Goku's solemn voice drifted up the stairs, "I wish I could say for certain, but I really hope it doesn't come to this."

xxxx

"And just how long will it take for our plans to be realised Dodoma?"

"One Earth year my lord," the alien informed him, the buzz of the hole between dimensions filling the cockpit of the spaceship.

…

"Watch out little super saiyan," Checha smirked, "I'm coming to get you."

 ** _Dragonball Awakening: Revenge of An Empire_**

 ** _Coming Soon 2017_**


End file.
